Grading system in CBSE Class XII?

New Delhi: After the decision to start grading system in Class X board examinations, the government may introduce a similar system in Class XII, human resource development minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday.

Sibal said the idea has already been mooted and a committee has been set up. It will examine how grading could be introduced at Class XII.“We had a brainstorming session on this,”the minister told reporters here on the sidelines of a meeting on the school education programme. After the committee gives its report, it will go the Central Advisory Board for Education and then to the Council of Boards of School Education in India (CoBSE).

The HRD ministry has already introduced grading system in Class X under the CBSE from this year. The nine-point system starting from A1 (a grade for students who have done exceptionally well in the exam) to E2 (unsatisfactory performance). He said consultations were being held with stakeholders to arrive at a conclusion on introducing the grading system in Class XII. Sibal said that quality should be at the forefront of the education system, and access to quality education must be available for all. He said the nation cannot move forward with good education being limited to the elite class. AGENCIES

Edu right law soon, SSA to be its vehicle Plan Panel Promises Massive Outlay For ItAkshaya Mukul | TNN
New Delhi: The notification on the Right to Education is likely to be issued soon as most of preparatory work that has delayed it is nearly over. Even the Planning Commission has promised a big outlay for RTE that would kick start the historic legislation.

The HRD ministry had sought Rs 40,000 crore for elementary education and expects a substantial hike from last year’s Rs 13,100 crore for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Plan panel sources indicated that HRD is likely to get more than Rs 20,000 crore for SSA. The Finance Commission has already promised more than Rs 20,000 crore for the next 5 years for states.

After framing the model rules for RTE, drawing out the roadmap and process of harmonising RTE with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan that included changing the latter’s norms, the ministry feels that SSA will be the main vehicle to implement RTE.

The executive committee of SSA has already made changes in the norms that do not have much financial bearing and do not need cabinet approval. However, major changes like teacher norms will have a substantial financial implication and will, therefore, be taken to the Expenditure Finance Committee and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The lingering question of Centre-State share for RTE is also likely to be resolved soon. The PM has already held a meeting with HRD minister Kapil Sibal, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Planning Commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia in this connection.

Sources said while states have been demanding a 90:10 spending pattern between the Centre and States, HRD would like it to be 75:25. “The SSA funding pattern is 55:45 but RTE cannot follow the same pattern. States do not have the money,” the sources said.

As for the change in SSA norms, it has been decided that all existing Education Guarantee Scheme centres that have been functioning for two years will be upgraded to regular schools.

Provision has also been made in SSA norms that upto 0.5% of a district’s outlay may be utilised for community mobilisation but it should be within the overall management cost of 6%. Change has also been made in case of provision for disabled children from the existing Rs 1,200 per child annually to Rs 3,000. Also, money for civil works can be utilised for library purpose and the fund for a school can be used for buying play material.

COLD START
Centre-state share for RTE remains a lingering question but is likely to be resolved soon. PM is in talks with Pranab Mukherjee States want a 90:10 spending pattern between Centre and states; HRD ministry wants it to be 75:25

Global univs: Sibal eyes UK help

New Delhi: With the HRD ministry having already mooted the idea of setting up 14 world-class innovation universities through public-private partnership, Kapil Sibal on Tuesday told Lord Mervyn Davies, British minister for trade, investment and business, about possible collaboration on the score.

Davies said his government is keen for cooperation with India in the education sector and said that in two areas of teacher training and certification, the UK could offer its expertise through collaboration. He emphasized that the mood for India in the UK is very positive.

He hoped that India would open up its university sector for British universities soon. Sibal said the education sector could see massive growth in the coming years to cater to the rising demand both in India and abroad. He underlined that while framing regulations, the focus would be to keep out fly-by-night operators from the education sector.

The 14 proposed innovation universities aiming at world-class standards will set new benchmarks in higher education, be it in academics or autonomy.

Admission to the universities will be done through a two-stage testing process: a screening process involving a standardized aptitude test in broad areas of higher learning such as physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, languages and life sciences where tests would gauge the cognitive and analytic abilities. In the second stage, candidates will have to go through an examination that measures knowledge through essay type questions.

In post-graduate level, a standardized aptitude test would be conducted. For doctorate programmes, references from eminent academicians would supplement the results obtained at the PG level. TNN

HRD minister Kapil Sibal with British minister Lord Mervyn Davies in Delhi

Sibal raises a storm of questions

BANGALORE: Ever since HRD ministry Kapil Sibal announced that the CBSE Class 10 exam was optional, phones have not stopped ringing at Bangalore schools.

With no clear communication from the ministry, schools and parents are in a quandary. On Monday, the ministry announced that CBSE Class 10 exam will be optional from the next academic year, while the grading system will be introduced this year itself. Further, Sibal said that after the board exams are abolished in 2011, students will have a choice -- to appear for the exam on demand for transfer to another school, or pre-university institutes.

This has raised doubts among schools, which say the "idea is good but the thought process is not".

"It's important that all three stakeholders -- parents, students and schools -- are satisfied. The challenge is for students looking for a transfer to other schools or PU institutions," said Mansoor Ali Khan, member, board of management, Delhi Public School (DPS).

Valuation is another question. "How will we valuate students appearing for the board exams and those who are not? Hitherto, students would begin preparations four months in advance. Now, there is pressure to prepare throughout the year," he observed.

A KV school principal, who did not want to be named, had similar views, "Every day, we have queries from parents wanting to know about the optional exam, they want to know how it will be conducted. There should be some selection criterion to Class 11. Nothing is clear. There is no communication from the ministry and we learn everything only through the media," the principal added.

NPS Group of Institutions chairman K P Gopalkrishna said the grading system involves conversion of marks into grades. "Ultimately, marking has to take place in the grading system. For instance, 90-100 marks is A1. Grading carries a new meaning and is done differently," he said.

He asked how evaluation will be done for students taking the exam. "What about those who do not take the exam? On what criteria will they be given admission for Class 11? Will the PU Board accept the grading system?"

Mansoor Ali Khan suggested a proper directive from the Council or ministry. "There has to be workshop for parents and teachers on the grading system and evaluation method," he added.

Neil O'Brien, chairman, CISCE, told The Times of India from New Delhi that the Council has not taken any decision on it yet. "These are suggestions made by Kapil Sibal and implemented by the respective boards. Hence, we will wait and see what happens. As of now, we haven't discussed it yet and have no plans of making any change," he added.

Right to education more empowering than right to vote: Ansari

New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANS) The right to education is more empowering than the right to vote, Vice President Hamid Ansari said Saturday as he conferred awards on 300 school teachers from across India on the occasion of Teachers Day.

“It has taken us six decades to provide the right to every child in the 6-14 years age group to free and compulsory primary education in neighbourhood schools. The Right to Education Act passed by the parliament last month is a historic step and probably more empowering, in terms of its impact, than the right to vote,” Ansari said.

As part of the Teachers Day celebrations, Ansari exhorted the teachers’ community from across the country to help build the nation by shaping the minds of India’s future generation. He asked the country to take note of the identity crisis of teachers, unwanted political interference and encouraged teachers to improve their competence.

“The question of inequity, and of segregated access to quality, remains a problem. The notion of equity has been central to our educational planning since Independence. Issues of access and equity, as of quality, are two sides of the same coin and need to be addressed in a parallel fashion. We need to assess if this is being realised for the poor and the vulnerable at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid,” he added.

He said, “we have a situation today in which teachers are politically empowered and professionally dis-empowered. This is a disservice to the cause of education. The need of the hour is to painstakingly rebuild the professional identity of our teachers, nurture their skills and professional competence through continuing education.”

He added the central government is constantly working towards the “objective of inclusive education so that the extraordinary latent talents of these special children are honed, enabling them to lead a life of quality and self esteem”.

Speaking on the occasion, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal called upon teachers to upgrade their teaching skills. He said that the dedication, the motivation and the commitment of the teachers nurtures the young, who are the future of the country.

Education reform will close down state-run schools: CPI-M

The central government’s proposed reforms in education will lead to the closure of state-run schools, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Saturday, demanding a nationwide debate on the proposed changes in the country’s education system.

“Kapil Sibal seems very active after getting the human resource development ministry in this (second United Progressive Alliance-UPA) government. But more than improving the standards of education, his activities are more targeted at privatising and commercialising education,” the CPI-M’s Bengali mouthpiece Ganashakti said in an editorial Saturday.

The daily said education was not “child’s play”.

“Overhauling of the education system cannot be the sole preserve of a minister. Only educationists intrinsically attached to the system can give their expert advice. It is desirable that any change in the system be preceded by a nationwide debate and discussion,” the paper said.

Calling for a consensus before any steps are initiated, the CPI-M said it was not that the central government was trying to pass an education act without any prior thought.

“They are going ahead after much calculation. But more than safeguarding the interests of the students and education, the (central government’s) thoughts are targeted more at benefiting private capital.”

Claiming that the central government has chosen the education sector to open new investment and profit-making avenues for capitalism “which is going through a crisis”, it said if the new measures were implemented then higher education will be out of the reach of the poorer sections of the population.

“The centre’s move to pass a new Act will result in the closure of many government schools and the private educational institutions will fill in the blanks,” the paper said.

Cadre of educators to train teachers: Sibal

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Taking forward the process of reforms in education, Union Minister Kapil Sibal today announced that a cadre of dedicated educators would be created to provide training and advanced skills to teachers to keep them updated with the latest in the field.

"We are trying to embark upon an exercise under which we will have a whole cadre of educators who will reach out to the teaching community to help them learn, unlearn and relearn things," he said after giving away Teachers' Award to meritorious teachers from CBSE affiliated schools here.

The HRD Minister said that teachers need to update themselves with the emerging knowledge and the new technology in the sphere of education.

The educators would introduce the teachers to latest technology for making the teaching more innovative and lively.

Sibal said it is a challenging task to ensure that the teachers are updated with the new knowledge.

CBSE plans independent body to grade its schools

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The CBSE board is all set to help you out. The board is planning to set up its own national accreditation body to grade CBSE schools across the country. The body will be an independent one and will consist of experts in the field of education.

Those present at a recent CBSE board meeting say there were plans to grade schools on various parameters, and not just academics alone. “The board may not even give schools one single overall rating. Instead, schools may be get separate grades for the various parameters, like sports,’’say board sources.

The board is also mulling over a proposal on new schools, whereby all schools wh i ch have recently started will have to run for three years and get themselves accredited before they get CBSE affiliation. Board officials, though, say there is no clear time frame for setting up this accreditation body.

Mumbai parents have given the move a thumbs up. Commenting on CBSE’s plan to give accreditation to schools, parent Shaira Shaikh says “This is a fantastic idea. It will certainly help us choose appropriate schools for our children. I had a tough time when it came to searching for schools for my eightyear-old son. If CBSE implements this policy by next year, it will be easier to zero in on a school for my daughter.’’

The Maharashtra government too had been weighing a proposal to grade its schools. A parent of a student in a state board school suggested a common accreditation system for schools across the country.

Some schools in Mumbai had at one time even sought ISO certification as a measure of quality.

Reexamine the Exam System in India

Gasper D'Souza

The HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal, succeeded in pushing through his proposal to abolish class X exams for the Central Board. The plan was approved by a high-level body on education.

According to the plan class X exams will now be optional for students who wish to continue in the same Board. Instead, stress will be placed on comprehensive and continuous evaluation so that education standards do not suffer. Students who wish to switch to State Boards after the class X could take the optional online test.

Not Welcome

The news should have been welcomed by parents and students alike. After all, both have, for long, been subjected to the pressure cooker Board Exam system. It has become a sieve that separates the 'grain' from the 'chaff'. Lives have been lost when crestfallen students have sought the quick way out of the ignominy of failure in the Board Exam.

But, surprise, surprise! Many schools and parents in Goa expressed scepticism over the move. They felt no accountability would be fixed for poor performance.

A parent is quoted to have said, “We will lose control over the child. This system will not work in India where education is still the means to ensure a job.”

School Dropouts and Financial Lures

Now consider another recent report. Educationists are concerned over the drop out rates in government schools, especially among girls. Attributing this to economic factors they have implemented a scheme where every girl child from a family with less that Rs 150,000/- annual income will receive Rs 2000/- per year.

The report states that last year Rs 13,98,000 was disbursed.

I won't get into the merits or otherwise of financial lures for development. But this is bull. Drop out rates are high not just because of economic factors (although this is a factor). The problem with education in India is that the entire system is flawed and needs urgent overhaul.

Singular Goal:

From Standard I itself, students are geared towards the singular aim of passing the Term exams. Everything else is secondary. Why, my 4-year old who is in kindergarten comes home with two pages of written homework daily and has 2 “exams” a year. Sports, art class, singing class, drama whatever are mere frills that adorn the syllabus. The primary goal of education is “pass that exam” else you're worthless.

But parents feel that by removing the exam system, the competitive edge of students will be lost.

More than Removing Pressure

Abolishing the Board Exam is not about removing the pressure on students. Of course training in tackling pressure is important. You don't need the Board Exam for that. These have only served to encourage rote learning in the months just before the exam. All of this, only to forget everything a few days after the exam.

By making Class X exams optional and putting the emphasis on year-round evaluation, the HRD Minister has taken a step in the right direction. But this is a baby step. I hope Mr Sibal does not stop at this. State Boards must follow suit. Unfortunately, the Goa Board has already announced it would not adopt this system.

Re-examine Exams:

Going further, the very concept of exams should be changed to mean year-round evaluation as opposed to single term exams from Standard I. This will ensure rote learning is discouraged.

But there's more by way of overhauling the system. In opposing the optional Class X exams for CBSE, principal of the Navy Children's school at Chicalim said, “Standard X is the checking point for students. That is where they decide which stream they will get into.”

This is the other major problem with education in India. While focus is on exams, individuality is lost.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

- from the song Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds

Encourage Individuality:

Students should be encouraged to take up subjects that interest them, right from their early years instead of waiting until Class X. And more importantly, subjects should be presented in ways that will encourage curiosity. After all, curiosity builds interest.

I was never a lover of History in school. In fact, I detested the subject. But later on when I saw popular films like Man in the Iron Mask, Schindler's List and the like I was drawn to study the historical background of these films. Now in the media, I routinely find myself looking up topics on civics, economics and politics. And yet, I graduated in Chemistry in college!

So what are we really trying to “teach” our children?

Leo Babuta, over at Zen Habits has a great post titled “Education Needs to be Turned on its Head”. He terms the current education model as flawed and calls for “un-schooling”:

“Mostly because it is based on the idea that there is a small group of people in authority, who will tell you what to do and what you need to know, and you must follow this obediently, like robots. And you must not think for yourself, or try to do what you want to do.”

The Future Workplace:

Today, more and more people work independently and this trend will continue as companies seek to become leaner and cost effective. More people will freelance for multiple companies. And in doing so, we will need to learn continuously and, more importantly, on our own.

I already find myself spending a major part of my time researching and learning online – on my own, without a teacher or employer.

Are our schools preparing our children for such a scenario? If not, when they are finally out there on their own they will become like little boats without rudders.

Those in power in education must see this reality and step out of the way of children as they continually seek to learn – on their own. This is the innate ability of all children before it is destroyed in the process we call “education”. Mr Sibal, in his reforms should hopefully have this in mind.

Prez signs education bill into law

States will have three years for implementation

Aditi Tandon, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 2
The 62-year-old Indian striving of imparting free and compulsory to children acquired body today, with the President granting assent to the Right to Education Bill, passed by Parliament on August 4.

Following the Presidential assent (granted on August 26), the government today issued a gazette notification of the law, which seeks to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged from 6 to 14 years.

The state governments will have three years from today, the date of notification of the law, to implement it. During this period, they will have to put in place neighbourhood schools, minimum education infrastructure with notified pupil-teacher ratio and school management societies to ensure proper implementation of the law.

Cost, by far, remains the gravest challenge in the implementation of the law, which would require Rs 2 lakh crore over the next five years for its enforcement. The HRD Ministry has already admitted to an estimated shortfall of Rs 60,000 crore over the said period, with minister Kapil Sibal saying additional allocations would have to be made.

All states, meanwhile, have put their foot down on the issue of finances, saying they will require maximum possible funding from the Centre to implement the law. At a meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education, held in the capital on Monday, all state education ministers drove home this point, with hill states like Himachal seeking 90 per cent central share in the funding.

There are some apprehensions over the definition of the term “free education”. The matter was raised vociferously by Archana Chitnis, Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, who wanted the HRD minister to clarify the meaning of term “free”. “Free education would have to be defined by states,” Sibal said, adding that it could mean free books, uniform, school bus travel or anything.

The states, however, feel leaving the definition of “free education” open could lead to confusion. The government feels the model rules under the Act, expected to be formulated soon, would clarify most of the points. Also on the cards is a new Centre-state finance sharing formula, for which National University for Education Planning and Research is developing fresh cost estimates after factoring in the inflationary trend.

“Based on those estimates, we will decide on the new finance-sharing formula. The Finance Commission will also have to be approached to seek additional funds for states,” Sibal said.

It's official, CBSE Class 10 exams become optional

New Delhi, Aug 31

From the current academic year, the tens of thousands of students studying in Class 10 need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams -- the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class 10 examination has been made optional.

Making this announcement here late Monday evening, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters: "The CBSE Class 10 exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year."

“I have said this earlier too," Sibal said after the 56th meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) here, attended by education ministers and officials from states.

He added that the examination would give way to a grading system and students would be evaluated throughout the year.

HRD ministry officials believe this move would help relieve the stress on thousands of students and their families.

Officials said all schools, which have Class 11 and 12, need not conduct the Class 10 exams, but schools with classes up to standard 10 may conduct the board examination.

Under the grading system, students would be given grades like A+, A, B, C, D and E.

Sibal said many state governments were happy about the new system, but they need to evolve a consensus in their respective state assemblies to implement it in their secondary education boards.

The grading system is for the CBSE now and not for the state boards, Sibal said

Let’s make education a non-political agenda, says Sibal

NEW DELHI - The government Monday announced a number of educational reforms ranging from making the Class 10 examination optional to setting up a central madrassa board and an educational tribunal to handle educational malpractices and urged state governments to make education “a non-political agenda”.

“If we can make educational a non-political agenda, we can not only change the future of students but also change the country, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after a Central Advisory Board on Education meeting attended by state education ministers.

“We are with your reform process. Whether it is on elementary education, higher education, curriculum change, Right to Education, making Class 10 exams optional or introducing grading system,” Sibal said to the state governments.

“All members supported us,” he claimed.

The minister said from the current academic year, the tens of thousands of students studying in Class 10 need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams - the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 examination has been made optional.

“The CBSE Class 10 exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year.”

Officials said all schools, which have Class 11 and 12, need not conduct the Class 10 exams, but schools with classes up to standard 10 may conduct the board examination. Under the grading system, students would be given grades like A+, A, B, C, D and E.

Sibal, however, reiterated that he is not proposing state education boards to make Class 10 exams optional.

The minister also announced that vice-chancellors of universities in the country would be appointed by a collegium headed by an eminent person equivalent to a Nobel laureate, and not the central or state government.

“The collegium will consist of 30 to 40 people headed by an eminent personality, lets say a Nobel laureate. They will decide whom to appoint. They will select and inform the government and if the government disagrees, then it will again go back to the collegium, he added.

On higher education, he said his ministry is in favour of an overall body to work on the policy framework of education. But a regulatory body will also be there, which will be separate from this body.

Sibal said there is need for bringing in legislation to deal with educational malpractices, and unfair capitation fees.

“We will also set up an education tribunal. In some states it will work on two levels - state and central level. Cases related to malpractices will go to this tribunal. Students will not have to go to a court and the cases can be solved fast, he added. “There will be a quick remedy through the tribunal.”

The HRD minister said that during deliberation with state governments it was perceived that teacher training is a major issue. “We need some two million trained teachers in the next few years. They should be competent.”

Talking about setting up a central madrassa board, he said: It will be an executive body. It will not interfere with the theological teachings and there is no contention here. The body will consist of both clerics and educationists.”

Kapil Sibal calls upon states for partnership in education reforms

New Delhi: Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for HRD has called upon the states for support and partnership for bringing in educational reforms in the country.

He was speaking during the inaugural session of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) Meeting here today.

The Minister underlined expansion, inclusion and excellence as the three underlying principles for educational reforms. Sibal particularly called for collaboration from State Governments with regard to the Right to Education (RTE).

He pointed out that Rs.1,50,000/- crore would be required for implementing the RTE in the country. It is perceived that there will be a shortfall of Rs.60,000/- crore as regards this massive exercise, which will have to be addressed he said.

Sibal pointed out that in order to provide equal opportunity to all students trying for professional courses, a core curriculum in Maths and Science needs to be formulated. He informed the Members of the Meeting that in a recent Meeting, COBSE has endorsed the framing of this core curriculum in Maths and Science and a Committee of COBSE has been constituted to draft the outlines of this curriculum in two months.

Sibal emphasized that diversity in education was to be respected and there was no intent of having a single board in the country.

With regard to higher education Sibal, in his address, indicated the reforms being mooted in this sector. He said that his Ministry was in the process of formulating the structure for an overarching body for higher education that would be responsible for higher education policy.

He said that some of the proposals for higher education included complete autonomy to universities for devising courses, cross fertilization of courses, research oriented universities etc. He also said that he was open to the idea of Indian universities collaborating with foreign universities or with the corporate sector.

He pointed out that the corporate sector was showing increasing interest ineducation as they require trained manpower.

The HRD Minister stated that he is in the process of dialogue for the creation of a Central Madrasa Board. He clarified that he did not want to interfere at all with religious education. But he emphasized that he wanted to empower minorities with equivalence of Board exams so that they could move into the university system and be eligible for jobs.

He also underlined commitment towards the Schedule Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, the differently abled, and other disadvantaged sections for which the same opportunity as the rest of the children of the country must be provided.

State model schools say no to classes in English

Hemali Chhapia I TNN

Mumbai: This could well be India’s version of the ‘Speak Good English’ movement that was launched by the Singapore government at the turn of this century. Finally picking up the grammar of what most people want, states across India will conduct classes in English in the 6,000 model schools that will start lectures from 2010. Maharashtra, however, will be an exception, with the state keen to promote Marathi instead.

Referring to the notes sent by states for the upcoming Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) meeting, Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal told this paper, “Most states want to impart education in these schools in English.’’ Maharashtra, however, refuses to accept change. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, state school education minister, said that model schools in the state will conduct classes in Marathi.

While permitting each state to decide the medium of instruction, the Centre, in a note circulated to state governments, had said that “special emphasis must be given to science, math and English’’ in the model schools. Though Sibal refused to comment on Maharashtra’s plan, he added, “What language a school should teach must be decided by the parent and the child; that cannot be decided by a government diktat.’’

HRD ministry source said, Maharashtra has not yet submitted its plan regarding the model schools to the Centre and has been asked to do so by September 15. Data collated by the government’s National University of Educational Planning and Administration has noted that the student population in Marathi-medium schools has declined from 119.61 lakh to 117.95 lakh, whereas enrolment in English-medium schools has gone up from 11.91 lakh to 15.02 lakh over one year.

The trend is more pronounced in the state’s capital. If there are 4.31 lakh students in Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai, there are currently over a lakh more—5.57 lakh children—in the city’s English-medium schools. Despite that, Vikhe-Patil said the model schools that will come up in the state will teach English as a subject, but the medium of instruction will be Marathi.

Model schools were planned as a means of reviving excellence in public schooling. Punjab, Himachal, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, UP and J&K, Haryana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, MP, Meghalaya, Andhra, Tripura and Bihar have so far sent their proposals to the Centre. Most have informed the Centre that they would instruct students in English.

ON THE CARDS

In November 2008, the UPA government announced the idea of setting up 6,000 model schools (of which 2,500 will be set up on Public Private Partnership basis) that are to act as examples for other schools in the area. Apart from Sikkim, Goa, Delhi, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh and Daman and Diu, all states that have educationally backward areas will have one model school per block. By the HRD ministry’s estimates, each of the new model schools will require around Rs 3 crore to be set up, apart from recurring expenditure for maintenance

Model schools will have adequate Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and internet connectivity

The teacher-pupil ratio should not exceed 1:25 and the classrooms must be spacious enough to accommodate at least 30 students.

These schools will be provided with arts and music teachers besides subject specific teachers as per the usual norms. These schools will also create facilities for activities emphasizing Indian heritage, arts and craft
The school curriculum should include the material/items that inculcate leadership qualities, team spirit, participation abilities, development of soft skills and ability to deal with real life situations. Health education and health check up will be introduced in these schools.

Necessary infrastructure for sports, recreation and out door activities will be provided. Facilities like play ground, gardens, auditorium etc. will be present in model schools