Individuals and organisations hoping to make a difference to the infrastructure of government-run schools in Uttar Pradesh will now be able to do their bit.
According to a proposal mooted by director, basic education, Sarvendra Vikram Bahadur Singh, the primary and upper primary schools of the state can be adopted by individuals, trusts and other organisations for rejuvenation -- but with some riders.
In a letter, chief secretary, basic education, Renuka Kumar told the director general, school education, Vijay Kiran Anand that those adopting the schools would be allowed to place a plaque outside the classrooms with information about the person(s) in whose memory the institute was getting the facelift.
However, the school’s identity, including name, would have be retained.
“The property of the school will remain with the basic education department and classroom construction will be as per the norms,” said Renuka Kumar.
Besides, the teachers appointed by the basic education department will continue to serve in the school and the adopter will not be allowed to introduce any changes in the syllabus. “Adopters will not be allowed to carry out any other activities inside the school,” she said.
Shedding light on the concept, Vijay Kiran Anand said, “A lot of organisations and individuals have come forward expressing interest in developing government schools under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan. Some old pupils of these government schools, who are doing well in life now, also wanted to help their alma mater grow. All these individuals and groups will now be allowed to strengthen the infrastructure -- by providing smart classes, bringing in technology or through some other means.”
However, he asserted, the schools would remain properties of the state.
Taking this idea forward, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had urged various community-oriented organisations on Wednesday to adopt schools in the eight ‘aspirational districts’ of Uttar Pradesh (Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar, Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Fatehpur and Chitrakoot), assuring them of state government support in their efforts.
Yogi said that under ‘Operation Kayakalp’, initiated in July 2017 by the state government, an effort was made to improve the school infrastructure in UP. “The institutions became cleaner and more hygienic for imparting quality education,” he said.
Highlighting the outcome of ‘Operation Kayakalp’, where infrastructures of thousands of government schools was strengthened with the help of community funding and individual contributions, the CM said, “Out of 1.58 lakh government primary schools, 90,000 were benefited either by getting smart classes or boundary walls or toilets or furniture.”
