Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Agreements on rural public schools today

HYDERABAD: Moving ahead in its plans to set up Rural Residential Public Schools in public–private partnership mode, the State Government has decided to sign memoranda of understanding with interested promoters on Tuesday and finalise locations for these institutions on Saturday.

This was the outcome of an interactive meeting Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had on Monday with representatives of corporates and social organisations that came forward to start schools.

Answering questions, Dr. Reddy said the Government had a far-sighted vision for the schools. Initially, the entry level in them would be Class VI and above.

The Government did not wish to stop after setting up the schools as it had plans to develop other State-run institutions and hostels. He assured legality to the land allotted to managements on a 99-year lease. The Government will own responsibility for the land alienated.

C.B.S. Venkataramana, Principal Secretary, School Education, said the schools were intended to be co-educational, but the managements were free to have separate blocks for boys and girls depending on the extent of land holding. He agreed that the children from rural background would face difficulty in pursuing education with English as the medium of instruction. However, he said, the problem could be overcome soon.

The official also said the managements would be given a free hand to make additions to the curriculum.

But they will have to fulfil the basic requirement of offering syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education and Indian Council of Secondary Education.

He added that the common entrance test for admission to the schools would be for Classes VI to VIII. After a few years, it would be restricted to Class VI only.

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