Lending “name” to a school
Thursday October 16, 2008 , 2 min Read
[Story source: Business Standard]
Corporates, non-profit organizations and individuals are helping re-build government schools in Andhra Pradesh by adopting schools under the School Adoption Scheme – started around three years ago by the state government. To summarise the scheme:
Private companies or philanthropists build schools or additional classrooms in the existing government schools. Some extend teaching and learning material, uniforms, furniture or bear the salaries of teachers and other activities. In return, the government allows the companies or philanthropists who donate Rs 5-10 lakh to name the schools or the block they build after someone they love.
The article cites a number of instances where schools have benefited and also gives a stark comparison of the schools before and after adoption – which ensures that it is not only the name of the school that changes. The number of schools benefited thus far is 14. A number which pales in light of the high level industrialisation in the state and the number of corporates having operations here. Also, the current beneficiary schools are located in and around Hyderabad.
We feel that the School Adoption Scheme (which in itself is part of the Sarve Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)) holds a lot of potential not just to improve school infrastructure but also to ensure relevance of the school with respect to the society today. Reason being, the school children and the staff interact with the so called other part of the society and thus ensure that they do not exist in isolation.
Public Private Participation in SSA: The link here broadly outlines the public private model in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Do read it.