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The Union Government intends to roll out model schools under public-private partnerships (PPP) from the 2015-16 academic session. These schools will provide secondary education.
“You need time for construction of buildings,” said Human Resource Development Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, while announcing that the schools would open in two years. He was addressing reporters after meeting Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and officials and stakeholders from the private sector.
Some private players present at the meeting said they would try to operationalise the schools from the next academic session itself.
The HRD Ministry, along with the Planning Commission, has finalised the model concession agreement (MCA) for the setting up of 2,500 model schools under the PPP model.
According to Ahluwalia, under this arrangement, private players will invest in land and buildings and manage the school. State governments would help in acquiring land.
He said at least 40 per cent of the students in the schools would not be charged any fee. The Union Government will bear the cost of teaching these students at the rate applicable in schools run and owned by the Centre.
According to estimates, the operational cost of teaching one student in a central school was around Rs 21,000 a year in 2011-12. However, other students will have to pay the fee prescribed by the PPP schools.
Ahluwalia also said that the MCA would be placed before the inter-ministerial committee headed by the Education Secretary on July 31 for approval. After the committee's approval, the Government would seek RFPs (request for proposal) to set up the model schools in 41 blocks on a pilot basis.
The Government has shortlisted 65 applicants for these blocks on the basis of requests for qualification furnished by private players. According to Raju, after the 41 pilot PPP schools, the model would be replicated in 478 blocks. The Government plans to open 6,000 model schools in the country, 3,500 in public mode and the rest in PPP mode.
> shishir.sinha@thehindu.co.in
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