Tamil Nadu to develop 32 model schools soon
The district committees headed by collectors were tasked with submitting the action plan to develop these schools.
Chennai: In a move to attract public and private organisations to develop government schools, the state government has selected one government higher secondary school in every district to develop it as a model school.
A meeting of chief educational officers and headmasters conducted here on Wednesday discussed the modalities and facilities to be provided in the model school.
As per school education minister K.A. Sengottaiyan’s announcement, each school will get Rs 50 lakh as the grant from the state government. The district committees headed by collectors were tasked with submitting the action plan to develop these schools.
The local authorities also need to raise the rest of the amount needed for upgrading the schools. “The schools underdeveloped and had open space for constructing buildings have been chosen by the chief educational officers. The model schools will have libraries, labs, sports facilities, smart classrooms and all other facilities needed for providing quality education,” officials said.
“The move will attract public and philanthropists, alumni of government schools to participate in the development of government schools,” officials hoped.
In Chennai district, the Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School in Egmore was chosen to be upgraded as the model school.
Educationist Prince Gajendrababu criticised the idea saying that the government should discriminate among the government schools. “Each and every government school should be treated as a model school and needs to be developed. If the state government selectively chooses one school and develops it as the model school, it will amount to discriminating students studying in other government schools. It is against the provision of Article 14 of the Constitution,” he argued.
The model school concept is not new to the state. “We already have model schools near to every teacher training school in our state. Instead of asking the funds from private organizations, the government should fund and develop all schools as model schools in the state,” he demanded.