Date:18/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/18/stories/2008061861090500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Private sector should adopt Government schools’

Staff Reporter

— Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar

Greater participation: Governor Rameshwar Thakur interacting with students at the inauguration of the Featherlite Pottery Town Government School in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Bangalore: The private sector should play a greater role in developing government schools, especially primary schools, in terms of infrastructure, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri said here on Tuesday, at the inauguration of the Featherlite Pottery Town Government High School.

Lauding the efforts of the organisation, Round Table India, which, in collaboration with the State Government has built 12 classrooms at Featherlite High School, he said that the private sector should continue to “adopt” Government schools in this manner. In view of the high dropout rates among students, especially in classes five, seven and 10, Mr. Kageri said he has directed his department officials to convince parents to keep their children in school. Several parts of the State continue to have alarming dropout rates despite schemes such as midday meals, he added.

Governor Rameshwar Thakur said that given the growing need for primary schools in the city, both the Government and the voluntary sector have to work together to fulfil the demand. “To enable children to take advantage of the changes and developments in curriculum and teaching, we need to invest more in teachers, without whose complete involvement, the idea of quality education will remain a distant dream. For this we need to revamp our teacher training establishments and ensure that good performance is adequately rewarded,” he said.

The trend in urban and rural areas is for parents to send their children to private schools, Mr. Thakur added. “We must regularly introspect to find out what government schools can do to make education affordable and qualitative.” He added that civil society, the corporate sector and the State, had a role in ensuring quality education.