Nine AMU schools to get Rs 84 crore for upgradation

Nine schools up to higher secondary level housing over 15,000 students in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will be brought at par with public sector Kendriya Vidalayas (KV).

Nine schools up to higher secondary level housing over 15,000 students in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will be brought at par with public sector Kendriya Vidalayas (KV).

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The University Grants Commission has decided to make a special allocation of Rs 84 crore to AMU to meet the KV parameters. The majority of the students in these nine schools including one run by AMU Students Union are Muslims.

The decision came at the time when the UPA government has announced schemes for welfare of minorities in election bound Uttar Pradesh including 4.5 % reservation for minorities in 27% seats reserved for Other Backward Classes in jobs and admissions.

The UGC’s decision on direction of the HRD ministry also provides money for taking over ABK High School, started by the students union in 1946, by the university administration as the school was facing financial crunch. There are over 3,000 students studying in the union school and have 94 teachers.

However, the UGC has decided that the school will be taken over only if the present management structure is wounded up and the staff agrees to upgrade their skills to meet the KV norms. “Time will be provided to the existing staff to upgrade their skills,” UGC chairperson Ved Prakash told HT.

Once the schools meet the KV standards, the UGC wants the AMU to double the present intake capacity by running second shift during evening hours. The money for that will be provided through AMU funds, an official said.

Many other Central Universities such as Jawaharlal Nehru University have schools under their administration, normally run by the Kendriya Vidalaya Sangathan (KVS). The schools were opened in late 1980s to provide a high grade school education system within universities to provide education to children close to the universities.

However, schools under AMU were neglected for lack of funds and some of them were said to be in the poor shape. The AMU had sought special funds from the HRD ministry for upgrading infrastructure and teaching levels in these schools. The proposal was finally approved last week.