They will be raised to the level of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya schools.
NEW DELHI: In a bid to bring back students from public schools to their own education system, the union Human Resource and Development (HRD) ministry is planning to upgrade all government-run and aided schools associated with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to the levels of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS) and Navodaya schools.
Taking a leaf out of the success story of the Centre-managed KVS and Navodaya Schools, which have a pass percentage of about 90, the HRD ministry has plans of using them as model schools to provide quality education to children. For this, the upper primary schools, with classes between I and VIII, will be brought under one umbrella with a common education pattern and standard.
"We agree that many government-run secondary schools are not providing quality education. This is forcing parents to send their kids to private schools. This is not a healthy sign. Hence, we are planning to upgrade Classes I to VIII to the standards of KVS and Navodaya," said a senior HRD official. "This will help in curbing the rush towards expensive public schools in search of quality education. KVS-model schools in states will provide a common education system," he added.
KVS caters to about nine lakh students in the country, mostly children of central government officials. Under the proposal, lakhs of schools associated with the SSA will be benefited, said the HRD official. The ministry also plans to upgrade all such middle schools where there are at least 30 students in class VII and VIII, to the level of secondary schools. Highly-placed sources in the HRD ministry said the proposal has the consent of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The matter is now with the Finance Ministry, which has to work out the financial viability of the project. According to initial estimates, the project would put an additional burden of Rs 50,000 to 70,000 crores on the government's exchequer.
Under the plan, while the administration and teachers will still be under the state government, the Centre will provide financial assistance for building infrastructure and teachers' capacity along with a proper monitoring system.
"Every time there is an issue of reservations, the talking point becomes, 'Why doesn't the government provide quality education from the junior level itself?' With this move, we hope to put an end to all such debates," said the official.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}