YSR moots schools

Desaraju Surya / TNN / Mar 12, 2007, 01:37 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

The scheme, meant for classes VI to XII, will have a CBSE syllabus.

HYDERABAD: From the ensuing academic year (2007-08), the state government proposes to set up 20 government sponsored co-education, English medium and residential institutes under public private partnership. The scheme, meant for classes VI to XII, will have a CBSE syllabus.
Initially, the government had floated the idea of setting up concept schools but due to opposition from all quarters, it has now decided to change the nomenclature to ‘public schools.'
Based on its success, one public school will come up in every assembly segment later, chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said.
The government, he added, would like industrial and corporate houses to invest at least Rs 10 to Rs 15 crore on each school under the public-private partnership initiative besides bearing Rs 50 lakh per annum on maintenance.

However, the schools should not be run for gain, the CM added. The government, YSR said, has plans to lure corporate majors like Satyam, Dr Reddy's and others with tax exemption offers as the project could be classified as ‘charity'.
On its part, the government will play the role of a facilitator in curriculum design, content development and teacher training besides providing 20 to 25 acres of land free-of-cost in each place.

Also, it will ‘subsidise' the fee for SC, ST, BC and other weaker section students even while maintaining the regular reservation quota.
The detailed fee structure, however, is being worked out. Official sources in the chief minister's office told TOI that a meeting would soon be convened to prepare a ‘road map' for the project and set up a regulatory body to oversee the functioning of these schools. Major temples like the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Srisailam and public-sector units like the Singareni Collieries Company Limited too would be involved in this ‘Vidya Yagnam' and asked to set up some schools. "They will be an inspiration for others to follow,"an official connected with the project said.
Lok Satta convener N Jayaprakash Narayan, however, said that the proposed schools aimed at privatising primary education in the state. This would jeopardise the future of poor students as they would not afford education at such high costs.
"Already, education and health systems in our state have become centres of business. It is unfortunate that the government is drafting policies only to push such businesses up,"he added.
The CPM and its affiliate United Teachers' Front too have opposed the government's move saying it would lead to further commercialisation of education.

End of Article