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Himachal mulls allowing eminent persons to govt adopt schools
State education secretary Rakesh Kanwar, who spearheaded the formulation of a comprehensive cabinet note emphasising the aim of enhancing exposure in government schools, said that people can choose to adopt a school of their liking and would be designated as its role models
The Himachal government is set to introduce a novel initiative allowing eminent individuals from various fields to adopt government schools across the state. The project, slated to be presented in the upcoming cabinet meeting, marks the first-ever adoption policy for government schools in the region.
State education secretary Rakesh Kanwar, who spearheaded the formulation of a comprehensive cabinet note emphasising the aim of enhancing exposure in government schools, said that people can choose to adopt a school of their liking and would be designated as its role models. Their responsibilities would include regular visits to the school concerned, supervision and active participation of the students.
Whether a person is a politician, a public servant or holds a position in the private sector, they will have the opportunity to adopt a school of their choice. Provision for financial assistance to the adopted schools is also under consideration” Kanwar said.
Deputy directors and field officers from the education department will play a key part in the scheme’s implementation.
Individuals from the industry have already been associated with ITIs and polytechnics in the state. Now, the government plans to implement this scheme with an aim of improving employability and self-employment among school students. Himachal has over 15,000 government schools, of which more than 10,500 are primary.
The previous government introduced the “Akhand Shiksha Jyoti-Mere School Se Nikle Moti” scheme, under which, the names of successful alumni were displayed on school notice boards.
Kanwar said that a draft has been prepared following the directives of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and education minister Rohit Thakur.
Himachal has a literacy rate of 82.8%, according to the 2011 census, 8.8% higher than the national average. The rate stands at 89.53% for men and 75.93% for women.
