`Vasti Shala' scheme for rural children

`Vasti Shala' scheme for rural children
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Mumbai, APRIL 3: The Democratic Front government today unveiled `Vasti Shala' (Hamlet School) scheme to impart primary education to children in remote areas.

The scheme was announced here by School Education Minitser Ramkrishna More who said the Vasti Shalas will be opened in the areas where norms for allowing regular schools are not fulfilled.

Under the current rules, the government allows a new primary school if there is no other school in the radius of 1.5 km or in the locality with a minimum population of 2000. For the tribal and hilly areas, the norms are 1 km radius and 1000 minimum population.

As per the new scheme, Vasti Shalas will be opened in the remote areas which do not fulfil the criteria, More said at a press conference here.

From the coming educational year, any gram panchayat or other local body can get a Vasti Shala in a particular area by passing a resolution and submitting it to the school education department.

The requirement will be a minimum 15 students. Also, it will be binding on the local gram panchayat to make available space for the school.

The schools will house classes for one to four under one roof and the syllabus to be taught will be informal in a minimum 200 hours in a year.

The management of the school will be in the hands of the gram panchayat or gram shikshan samiti and the maximum grant to be paid by the government for each Vasti Shala will be Rs 13,000 per year. This will include payment of the teacher, text books for the students and other expenses.

The teachers for the school will be hired for ten months on contractual basis and paid remuneration of Rs 1000 per month. More said teachers will be preferably hired from local D Ed candidates or 12 th passed of former is not available.

They will be provided training for 30 days after recruitment.

The scheme is based on a similar scheme being implemented by Madhya Pradesh government, More pointed out.