Grant for 200 more schools having 50% SC students

Sources in the government said 578 schools in the state fulfilling the condition of 50 per cent enrollment of SC students are already given grants by the Social Welfare Department depending.

“The state government spends about Rs 40 crore annually on schools which are required to enrol 50 per cent SC students,” an official said.

Earlier,in 2006,Mulayam government had decided not to give such grants to any more schools.

To select schools for this new scheme,the state government has asked district magistrates to complete the formalities at the earliest. A three-member committee,headed by the district magistrate,and including the district basic education officer and the social welfare officer,will advertise the scheme in every district and invite proposals within a month.

“Besides having permanent recognition for past 10 years,the selected school must possess own land and building. It must have at least five teachers and 200 students. The teachers must have been be appointed as per the existing reservation system. The society running the school must be registered,” said an official.

The government has also undertaken an exercise to verify the status of 578 non-government schools already receiving government grant. Sources said the feedback the government has received about these schools is not very good.

“In a recent inspection of 12 such schools in Lucknow district,it was found that none of them fulfilled the preconditions stipulated by the state government for getting grants. It is possible there are many such schools in other parts of the state,” said an official.

Principal Secretary (Social Welfare) Balwinder Kumar said these 578 schools are under watch. “I have asked the Director of Social Welfare to get these schools inspected,” he said.