Not just teachers’ salaries, over 5,000 grant in-aid schools in Gujarat to also get funds for infrastructure development

At present, the state government provides grants only in the form of teachers’ salaries or grant per child to such schools.

The decision, considered to be a major move towards strengthening secondary and higher secondary education, is said to be in response to demands from the management of grant-in-aid schools in the state.

This assistance will be provided in the ratio of 80:20 to grant-in-aid secondary and higher secondary schools affiliated to Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board with the state government bearing the majority of the cost, the Gujarat government announced in a release.

This scheme, which will be implemented from the academic year 2025-26 for a period of five years, will benefit nearly 5,100 schools.

“The state government has given a positive response to the demand of the School Management Association by starting this scheme in the wider interest of the education world and school students,” Bhaskar Patel from Gujarat State School Management Association stated.

Under the scheme, grants will be made available only once to secondary and higher secondary schools to create infrastructure facilities on their campuses. The grant amount will range from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore, depending on the number of students.

The infrastructure facilities for which the schools are eligible to receive assistance under this scheme include construction of missing classrooms, special rooms like library, laboratory, computer lab, vocational room and girls’ room; new toilet blocks for male and female students; and drinking water facilities and other major repairs as well as painting of the premises, construction of compound walls and accessible infrastructure facilities required for the differently abled.

The schools are required to submit a proposal in the prescribed format with the District Education Officer concerned by September 30.

Soon, a Government Resolution (GR) is also expected to be issued for the implementation of this scheme.