The UPA Government’s promise to create model schools in the backward blocks of the country is finally set to be fulfilled with the HRD Ministry’s school building mission likely to get Cabinet approval this week. While the state Government and the Centre will run 2,500 such schools, another 2,500 will be built on public private partnership. The 2,500 schools to be run by the Government will follow the Kendriya Vidyalaya model. “The KV template will be followed in terms of the school area, size of the classroom, facilities like playground, library, medical check-up and training of teachers. The teacher-pupil ratio will be around 1:40. While the states will own and run these schools, the Centre will contribute Rs 4 crore to each school for its setting up. The decision regarding schools’ affiliation to CBSE or with state boards will be states’ prerogative,” added an official.The scheme aims to retain students in school through the secondary stage, more so with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan bringing a large number of children into the primary education fold. The ministry claims there is nearly 97 per cent enrolment at the elementary level at present whereas the gross enrolment ratio for secondary education is around 52 per cent and still lower at the senior secondary stage. With a high-quality school in the most backward blocks of the country, the Government hopes to reduce and stop the drop in secondary stage enrolment and also hone talented children there.The 2,500 PPP-based schools will, however, take a little longer. The HRD ministry is envisaging a flexible PPP format wherein private investment would be allowed on response and school-specific basis. The PPP-based proposal for 2,500 model schools awaits approval of the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC). “The PPP framework we are working on will be a flexible and facilitative one and not prescriptive or suggestive in nature to ensure enough private investment. We are also open to the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) format, provided KV type academic quality and regulations are maintained,” said an official.
