By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: State Government’s sudden move to provincialise deficit schools has two major hurdles-funds availability and consent of the venture schools to come under official control.
The Government circular to the Deficit schools of July 2 last exempted the Higher and Secondary schools run by “Religious Bodies”, and sought basic information from the remaining schools, including number of staff, land, building, sponsoring body etc.
But the Education Department is not fully geared up to provincialise these schools. Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Education Dr RC Laloo said he would take up allocation of funds with Chief Minister after the Department submits the list of Deficit schools.
Talking to this reporter here on Thursday Dr Laloo clarified that the term “provincialisation” implies that the Government would finally take over management and funding of these schools. The State is already supporting the schools by way of salary of teachers and staff, but management remained in private hands which, according to the Minister, was like having “two power centres”.
He said once the schools were provincialised, Government would be taking over all their assets, land and infrastructure, and would become sole authority of managing the schools.
Dr Laloo said the Government was “serious” about taking over the Deficit Schools, but did not indicate any time-frame.
He said the teachers of provincialised schools would be enjoying better service conditions, including a pensionary benefit. Since it was still at a proposal stage, all details are yet to be worked out, he added.
“We have already issued a notification asking the various secondary and higher secondary deficit schools which are not run by religious minorities to come forward and take advantage of the proposal of the Government,” Dr Laloo said adding that the Government would be more than happy to include the various educational institutions run by the religious minorities to be part and parcel of the attempt by the Government to provincialise the educational institutions in the State.
“But I have strong doubts if the institutions run by the religious minorities would be keen to accept this proposal of the Government.
“These institutions would also not be in favour of allowing the Government to take over the management of the schools,” he felt.