At a time when the state government is taking steps to implement Right to Education (RTE) Act in the state, the education department is opening up 15 residential schools for slum children.
Incidentally, the schools where the enrolment of students is low would be turned into residential schools. A senior official of the school education department said: “The department sent a proposal to open such schools modelled on the Central government scheme Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGVB) and it was approved. It would be managed by the state Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) department.”
Choten D. Lama, state project director, SSA, said: “A survey was conducted in 2010 to initiate this scheme. These schools would be run and managed by the NGOs.” She added that NGOs with experience of working in the education sector for almost five years would be considered eligible. One NGO would be allowed to handle one school only. In rare cases, it would be allowed to run two schools. Talks are on with CRY and Cini Asha.”