The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Centre plans model school in every block

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Monday, Jul 21, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Centre plans model school in every block

Meera Srinivasan

6,000 such schools to be established all over the country; 2,500 in blocks identified as ‘most backward’

The infrastructure of secondary schools will be checked and strengthened
Special attention will be paid to laboratories, teacher training and science and math education

CHENNAI: The Centre will soon direct the States to set up high quality schools or ‘model schools’ in every block, according to Arun Kumar Rath, Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Speaking to The Hindu here on Saturday, he said this would mean that 6,000 such schools would be set up all over the country.

“As part of the first phase, the MHRD will focus on establishing 2,500 model schools in blocks that we have identified as ‘most backward’,” he said. The model schools are to be modelled on Central schools, he said.

“We have almost entirely universalised elementary education (up to class VIII) with 97 per cent enrolment now. With almost 100 per cent enrolment, there is bound to be more demand for secondary education,” he said.

Pointing to the current Gross Enrolment Ratio in secondary education and senior secondary education, which stood at 52 per cent and 25 per cent respectively, he said: “If India has to grow as a nation, this should not continue.”

Therefore, the MHRD has decided to address the issue by taking two steps: one, through the establishment of model schools and the other, through the simultaneous upgrading of the existing secondary schools.

“The infrastructure of secondary schools will be checked and strengthened. Special attention will be paid to science laboratories, teacher training and science and math education in these schools,” he said.

About 30,000 schools will be catered to through these initiatives. It is vital to strengthen the secondary education system in a short span of time, he noted.

The MHRD is already talking to State governments to involve them in these endeavours as is done in the case of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The fund sharing will also be worked out soon, Mr. Rath said.

“We are giving this initiative five years. Every State will be asked to give school-specific requirements as it is important to address the needs of every school individually,” he said.

The MHRD has organised a meeting of the School Education Department secretaries on July 31 and August 1, where final decisions about the mode of implementation of the initiative will be taken.

Vocational education

Speaking on the plans related to vocational education, Mr. Rath said only 4 per cent of those leaving school chose to pursue vocational education.

“This is very low. We want to enhance this to 20 per cent. Here again, we will seek the partnership of the State governments. ” Involvement of Parent Teacher Associations and local community would be sought, he said.

Queried on whether the Centre considered implementing a ranking system to facilitate achievement of better quality, he said some States were already ranking schools based on parameters such as infrastructure, teacher training, cleanliness and ambience.

Rank list

“But yes, we may soon require a rank list specific to each block, district and State,” he said.

The National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) had ranked States while deriving the Educational Development Index, he said.

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