Karnataka - Bangalore   

‘PPP model may erode public school system’

Bangalore: The proposal by the Centre to start “model schools” in the public-private partnership (PPP) model in all States is no less than a “blueprint” for complete handover of public education system to private interest groups, said Niranjan Aradhya of the Centre for Child and Law at the National Law School of India University.

Speaking at a symposium organised by the Joint Action Forum of Chid Rights Alliance (Karnataka) here on Wednesday, Mr. Aradhya said that the “dangerous” clause in the proposal under the 11th Plan was the one that states that the schools started under PPP will be handed over without any encumbrances to the private party after 30 years. “This provides an opportunity to corporate and big business houses to make the first entry into the system,” he said. Government will be an active felicitator in the process in providing land and infrastructure, he added.

He warned that the entire recruitment process of teachers would be vested with the private partners under this system, and this was a clear step towards “hire and fire” system without any sense of social justice.

S.Y. Gurushant of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that attempts to push forward PPP in education when the need of the hour was a common school system was ironical. K.C. Venkatesh of Forward Bloc also participated in the symposium.

The meeting resolved to meet the Governor and Chief Secretary to demand that the proposal be withheld. The proposal by the Centre on starting the “model schools” follows a proposal in the 11th Five Year Plan which states that the Government, rather than starting educational institution and running them, should move towards bearing children’s educational cost.

If the proposal is accepted, Karnataka will have 102 schools under PPP.

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