Gujarat: Around 70 applicants shortlisted for residential school project

An interaction with the shortlisted ones is scheduled on January 3.

“The education department aims to sound them on what all they are expected to do following which a memorandum of understanding will be signed with them. For instance, the kind and quality of infrastructure that is required to be provided. It is to ensure that the selected applicants do not back out at a later stage or mid way once the MoU is signed. Thus, giving them an opportunity to back out now if they want,” said Education Secretary Vinod Rao.

The education department has prepared a presentation detailing the requirements of the project that will be shown to the shortlisted applicants on Monday. Also, with the help of legal professionals, the conditions of the MoU are being framed to bind them legally.

The selection process for which applications were invited in August 2021 is already running behind schedule due to the change in Vijay Rupani-led state government in September, 2021.

The department is aiming at the PPP model that requires entire investment on land, infrastructure, human resource, logistics and management to run nearly 50 ‘Residential Schools of Excellence’ with 2000 to 10,000 students, to commence from June 2022.

“Ideally 50 schools will be selected where these would be required to undertake infrastructure by June 2022 as per minimum requirement and part by next June,” added Rao. Thus, the policy aims to create a total of 1 lakh students-capacity in these residential schools across classes 6 to 12 within the next 3 to 5 years.

Though, the education department is looking at a geographical representation from across the state which with number of applications from one region dominating the others it looks difficult to implement.

Sources, for instance, revealed that number of applications from Saurashtra region is highest than other parts of the state like tribal areas. While the entire capital cost will be borne by the project partner, the education department will provide financial assistance for meeting recurring cost through a lump sum amount of Rs 60,000 per child per year decided for the fiscal 2021-22 with an annual increase of 7 per cent.

As per the recent MoU signed between University of Cambridge and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), these residential schools of excellence while classes from 6-8 will be bilingual, Class 9 onwards will be English medium.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Cambridge Partnership for Education, part of the University of Cambridge and the Government of Gujarat enabling collaboration on the development of curriculum, assessment, teaching and learning resources, and teacher training will be implemented in residential schools of excellence from June 2022.

The GSHSEB with support of Command and Control centre for Schools will also device mechanism for tracking learning levels of each student through formative and summative assessments. These schools will then be evaluated periodically by Gujarat School Quality Accreditation Council (GSQAC).