Under the National Educational Policy, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured to sanction eight Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools for Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). An attempt to tackle the competition posed by private schools, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Education Department has decided to distribute tablets to all students of municipal schools in the city and also to start at least six English medium schools (one each in six assembly constituencies in the city) with private partnership. The NMC Standing Committee has already sanctioned special fund for opening of English medium schools.
The education committee meeting of NMC took place at Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Hall, NMC Office, and Civil Lines on Tuesday in which all members and officials of education department were present. During the meeting, the department tabled a proposal before the standing committee estimating Rs 2.67 crore expenses for the first year for English medium schools. Every year, the expenditure on running these schools will increase by 7 per cent as the number of students goes up. In the last 15 years, the civic body had shut its 100 schools and now nearly 35-40 buildings, which housed these schools, are lying vacant, the department said.
On the other hand, NMC school principals and teachers are trying hard to increase enrollment in civic run schools. Most of the students in private schools get exposure to education in English medium from KG-1, whereas the NMC runs only one English medium school at present. In this situation, if the NMC starts offering education in English medium from primary level, enrolment will increase and parents from below poverty line too will be able to send their wards to such schools. Amid this lockdown situation the teachers of municipal schools are also played a major role to educate students through online. The meeting also approved the proposal of maintenance for all NMC schools in the city.
