Central syllabus for civic schools

It is claimed to be the first such initiative in the country. With public support, schools run by eight urban local bodies in the state, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), will be upgraded and students will be taught central syllabus.

With an aim to improve the quality of education in corporation schools, which also provide free education to children from the weaker sections of society, the government has decided to upgrade the facilities there to CBSE standards.

Minister for law and urban development S Suresh Kumar has said that private establishments were welcome to adopt corporation schools and upgrade them to CBSE standards with the participation of the BBMP.

“The government is also ready to provide land and buildings for such an initiative,” he said. The building for one such school in Srirampura in Dayanandsagar ward has been upgraded by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) at a cost of Rs285 crore.

“The school will teach students in CBSE syllabus from the coming academic year, i.e from the year 2010-11,” he said.
Suresh Kumar described the move as a major one in reviving the quality of education in corporation schools. 

“To begin with, the BVB-BBMP Public School will have classes for Kindergarten. From next year, it will be extended to fourth standard. Subsequently, the school will provide education up to
10th standard,”  said director of the school Dr Rajeshwari Raghu.

Rajeshwari said the seat matrix would be 50:50 between the BBMP and BVB. “Students chosen by the BBMP need not have to pay any fees. Other requirements such as uniform, shoes and stationery will be provided free of cost. However, students chosen by the BVB will have to pay fees which will be used to run the school,” she said.  Members of BVB said the Bhavan would help the BBMP in choosing the children. The school has come up on a 5.5-acre land with five acres earmarked for a playground.

The BVB has already held interviews to choose the faculty to run the school.

“We will hold a meeting with the BBMP commissioner and minister Suresh Kumar to decide on the future course of action and modalities,” she added.

BVB director and gamaka singer Mattur Krishnamurthy said the Bhavan was committed to give quality education under CBSE syllabus and was thinking of extending such an initiative to other schools of the BBMP as well.