Centre invites bids for 2,500 model schools

COIMBATORE: Nearly two years after it announced the setting up of 2,500 model secondary schools in the country on a public private partnership (PPP) mode, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has finally invited bids for the ambitious project. The Central Government has planned to establish these schools as benchmarks of excellence in blocks other than Educationally Backward Blocks at the rate of one school each per block.In Tamil Nadu, of the 402 Educational Blocks, only 44 have been declared as EBBs. This means the State is entitled to get 358 model schools, if all the non-EBBs are chosen for the project.“These model schools will have classes from VI to XII standards and function with minimum infrastructure and facilities of same standards as in our flagship Kendriya Vidyalayas. We plan to start 500 model schools in the first phase,” an official of the Department of School Education and Literacy in the HRD Ministry said.“We have gone in for the PPP model because it is difficult for the Government to finance and maintain such a large number of schools at one go. As per the guidelines, the private party bidding for the school would be responsible for purchasing the land, building infrastructure and subsequent maintenance and functioning of the school,” he said.The HRD Ministry would contribute to the recurring cost on per capita basis for the students who are sponsored by the Government.Any trust or group which has been administering at least one CBSE school from where at least two consecutive batches have passed out from Class X would qualify to establish up to three model schools.