Hyderabad Institute of Liberal Arts is organizing a public debate on the state of school education in the Old City region of Hyderabad. HILA is launching a 20-week long part time liberal arts education programme from this July 1st where students will be exposed to a variety of disciplines of learning including science, maths, literature, economics and geography. The programme is open to anyone with a highschool certificate and aims to enrich the students overall life skills.

In the debate, we have six individuals who have been involved in educational activities in the Old City to share their perspectives with the audience. These are Ayesha Rubina, nominated corporator of GHMC; Mohd. Azam Khan, businessman and educationist; Shama Parveen, deputy director at Princess Esin Educational Society; Sana Hussain, principal, Princess Esin junior college; Lakshmi Sankranti, teacher trainer; and Sangeeta Kamat, researcher from University of Massachusettes. We are also inviting journalists from different media organizations who specialize in reporting on education and on the Old City, he added. The panel discussion will focus on the state of school infrastructure, facilities for instruction in Urdu and Telugu, the efficacy of vocational training schemes. Even as Hyderabad city itself has become more tightly integrated with the global economy. While this integration goes on rapidly, parents of children of all classes are faced with tough choices in selecting and keeping their children in schools. A large number of private schools have also emerged in the Old City even as government school system has not been doing well. In a city that has a long tradition of public education system, these are matters of concern not just for residents of the Old City but for everyone who believes in a just urban society. Open for all and ENTRY is FREE.