More than 25 model schools and thousands of students across the district face an uncertain future as the State government is yet to take a decision on the ways of providing funds to them.
The model schools were built between 2008 and 2012. They admit students from Class 6 to Intermediate and the medium of instruction is English. A few schools are still being built across the district.
The schools have hostels attached to them that primarily cater to girls for residential purpose and boys for semi-residential purpose. The students are served mid-day meal in the hostels.
It was initially planned that the Central government would provide hundred per cent funding under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) for the first year and reduce it by 25 per cent each year to eventually make them completely funded by the State government from the fifth year onwards.
Officials in a quandary
As the government is yet to take a decision in this regard, the officials are in a quandary, unable to explain the position to the staff members and those enquiring about the fate of the schools.
“The hostels have not been functioning since the commencement of this academic year for the girl students with the Education Department issuing a G.O. stating that the models schools are not residential institutions,” said principal of a model school in Anantapur on conditions of anonymity.
In this backdrop, many a parent may find it difficult to provide education to the girl children by admitting them in hostels, defeating the very purpose for which the model schools had been launched.
The State government has dropped enough hints that it has no funds to run the hostels unless the Central government agrees to bear the expenditure.
As things stand, the future of the students willing to pursue education by staying in hostels is uncertain.
The Government’s measures to ensure “zero dropout rate” may also be affected.
