New Delhi, April 23: An additional 1,000 model schools will be set up in the Educationally Backward Blocks (EBB) in the country which will serve as a benchmark of excellence. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the setting up of 1,000 additional model schools in the government sector.
These additional schools will take the total number of model schools to be set up in government sector to 3,500, an official statement said. Besides, another 2,500 model schools will be set up in rural blocks in public-private-partnership mode for which modalities are being worked out.
The additional 1,000 schools are estimated to cost Rs 3,304 crore with the Central share of Rs 2,478 crore, the statement said. The CCEA in 2008 had approved the proposal for setting up 2,500 model schools in government sector, the statement said.
The estimated cost for those 2,500 schools was Rs 9322 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan, of which the central share is Rs 7457 crore. The Centre will provide 75 per cent of the cost for these schools in all states excepting the northeastern states where the funds would be shared in the ratio of 90-10 between the Centre and the states.
The estimated Central share for establishing 3,500 schools in the government sector is Rs 9,935 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan. Each school will have 560 students and these 3,500 schools will benefit nearly 19.6 lakh students.
The programme will be implemented through the societies set up by the State Governments for this purpose, the statement said. These schools will come up in 3,500 EBBs in 27 States and Union Territories.
These schools will have classes from VI to XII or from IX to XII. Each school under the scheme will have norms and standards equal to or better than Kendriya Vidyalayas, while the medium of instruction and affiliating board will be decided by the State Governments. The scheme aims at opening up access to quality secondary education to talented rural students.
These schools will be of high standards and set example for other institutions.
----Agencies