NEW DELHI: The government has fast-tracked its plan to invite private money into schools and hospitals through public-private partnerships (PPP). It has set a target of opening 6,000 well-equipped schools across the country by the beginning of next fiscal.
There would be one school in every block offering classes up to XIIth standard, informed sources told ET.
The proposed schools are expected to change the way education is imparted in the country, particularly in rural areas. “We would want the schools to be a model for others to emulate. We would do everything to provide the best faculty and facilities in the schools. While schools would be set up across the country, there would be an emphasis on rural areas,” a source said.
The ministries of higher education and finance are working on the norms to bring together private sector’s efficiency and the government’s commitment to society. “The corporate sector could contribute in many ways. Under the proposed norms, the corporate sector could partner the government either in offering select facilities in a school or in running it on their own. They may also participate by providing just the physical assets,”a source said.
The norms would promise a decent return on investment for the private players. The scheme would also allow the private partner to leverage the idle assets in government facilities to raise additional revenues and provide better services to students. They would also be entitled to government grants.
To give a boost to the social sector, the government intends spending Rs 34,400 crore in the next fiscal, 20% more that the funds earmarked for the current fiscal. It had also announced in this year’s Union Budget a plan to set up several thousands of high-quality model schools with Rs 650 crore. The government plan is to increase enrolment at the primary level and enhance access to secondary and higher secondary levels.
There would be one school in every block offering classes up to XIIth standard, informed sources told ET.
The proposed schools are expected to change the way education is imparted in the country, particularly in rural areas. “We would want the schools to be a model for others to emulate. We would do everything to provide the best faculty and facilities in the schools. While schools would be set up across the country, there would be an emphasis on rural areas,” a source said.
The ministries of higher education and finance are working on the norms to bring together private sector’s efficiency and the government’s commitment to society. “The corporate sector could contribute in many ways. Under the proposed norms, the corporate sector could partner the government either in offering select facilities in a school or in running it on their own. They may also participate by providing just the physical assets,”a source said.
The norms would promise a decent return on investment for the private players. The scheme would also allow the private partner to leverage the idle assets in government facilities to raise additional revenues and provide better services to students. They would also be entitled to government grants.
To give a boost to the social sector, the government intends spending Rs 34,400 crore in the next fiscal, 20% more that the funds earmarked for the current fiscal. It had also announced in this year’s Union Budget a plan to set up several thousands of high-quality model schools with Rs 650 crore. The government plan is to increase enrolment at the primary level and enhance access to secondary and higher secondary levels.
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