Private trusts to run closed civic schools
35 Marathi schools will be run as Eng medium schools.
Mumbai: Thirty-five municipal Marathi schools, which have been shut down due to lack of students, will be revived by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with the help of private agencies. The civic body now plans to convert them into English medium schools.
As a part of Full School Management with Private Partner Teachers (FSMPT), the BMC is planning to allow private trusts to run 35 of its Marathi Medium municipal sch-ools for a period of 10 years. The proposal to allot them to private non-governmental organisations (NGO) has already been cleared in the BMC group leaders meeting and has now been tabled in the civic education committee meeting for approval. According to civic officials, the private trusts will be allowed to operate these schools and bear all expenses, including the staff salary. However, students will not be charged any fees and they will also be provided 27 school stationary items like uniforms, bags, raincoats etc., just like students of other municipal schools.
According to civic data, there has been a steady dropout in municipal schools in the last few years, with the most being seen among Marathi medium students.
According to the FSMPT policy, private trusts will take over defunct schools and will follow certain guidelines. These include adherence to Right to Education (RTE) rules, no fees for students, no private use of school structures, to use their own pedagogy, material and teaching programme.
They will also be asked to carry out minor repairs at their own costs, provide a library and science lab and run parent community development activities.
“While these schools would be given to private trusts run, their entire control would remain with the BMC. We have decided to allot schools to private parties so that municipal students get the benefit of their well-trained teachers and get quality education,” said Shubhada Gudekar, chairperson of the BMC education committee.
To evaluate these schools, the BMC has decided to form a five-member committee headed by the additional municipal commissioner (western suburbs).