Govt plans KV-like model schools with smart labs

Patna: Education department has launched an ambitious initiative to transform the quality of school education across the state by developing model schools on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalayas.Under the plan, one model school each has been identified in all 534 blocks along with 10 district schools. These institutions will function under the name ‘Saraswati Vidya Niketan’ from July this year. The state govt has approved an allocation of Rs 800 crore for the project in the current financial year.Director of secondary education Sajjan Rajasekar said the initiative is being implemented under the govt’s ‘Saat Nischay-3’ programme aimed at ensuring “advanced education for a better future”. He said that the schools are being designed to provide quality and modern education comparable to Kendriya Vidyalayas. Facilities such as smart laboratories, computer labs, digital library, and online as well as offline coaching support will be made available to students to strengthen academic learning and competitive exam preparation.According to the department, the establishment of model schools is expected to create a healthy academic competition among govt schools and encourage better performance across the education system. The schools are likely to begin functioning from July after the summer vacation. So far, 89,904 students have been enrolled in these model schools across the state, with several admissions made through the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) scheme.However, teacher vacancies remain a challenge. Departmental records indicate that 1,860 teaching post for classes 9 and 10 and 6,459 post for classes 11 and 12 are currently vacant. To address this, district-level panels headed by deputy development commissioner (DDC) have been constituted by the department to appoint qualified teachers through interviews. Students will also receive uniforms through Jeevika groups, while teachers posted in these schools will be provided special incentive allowances.