All Privately run govt. schools to reserve 25 lakh seats for poor kids

The government has decided to allow corporates, non-profit companies and societies to establish 2,500 schools all over the country. The step has been taken to encourage the development of inclusive education in India.

The Planning Commission in consultation with the private sector finalized the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model that would allow the government to fill up 1,000 seats from the existing 2,500 seats in each school having children from disadvantaged sections.

Although run by a private management, the schools would remain government schools, benefiting nearly 25 lakh students to get free education.

Out of the 1000 available seats at the PPP schools, half of these would be reserved for students from the scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and other backward classes (OBC). These students would only have to pay a tuition fee of Rs. 25 per month.

The panel has decided that the rest of the seats would be allotted to children of non-income tax paying parents, who would have to pay a monthly tuition fee of Rs. 50. The remaining cost of providing education to these students would be borne by the government in accordance with the Kendriya Vidyalaya rules. The students would be provided free textbooks and two uniform sets in a year.

An official said that the government will not interfere in the decision by the school regarding the fee that has to be paid by students from the non-reserved category. He said that the private administration would have complete control over their schools.