State nod for more English schools soon

The school education department will take a decision on the fate of the 2,100 new proposals for non-aided English medium schools in the next eight days.

The school education department will take a decision on the fate of the 2,100 new proposals for non-aided English medium schools in the next eight days.

HT Image

The decision, taken in the cabinet sub-committee meeting chaired by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, at the government headquarters on Monay, aims at expediting the process of providing new English medium schools, under the SSC board.

Pressure is mounting on the state government to bring in more English medium schools, considering the huge influence and competition the state board faces from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian School Certificate Education (ICSE) board schools.

"To make sure that the quality of schools that get selected is optimum, we have a two-phase scrutiny, at district and state level, where only 2,100 of the 7,000 applications have reached the final stage. The final list will go through strict scrutiny and those schools which are up to the mark will finally get a nod," said education minister Rajendra Darda after the meeting with Chavan on Monday.

Of the 2,100 applications, 1,800 are from 2010-11 while 350 applications are from the current financial year.

Ever since Darda took over the education department in 2010, he has been stressing on the need for English medium education. He had said that when more English medium schools are started, it will generate more teachers from the state to teach in the language and there will be no need to employ teachers from other states.

The new schools, a senior official explained, will go through a tough test and will have to clear several levels of scrutiny before they get clearance.