Govt to raise funds for developing schools

The State government will improve government schools by raising donations from philanthropists, according to Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Kimmane Ratnakar. "There are a total of 50,000 schools in the State and the government requires not less than Rs 6,000 crore for improving all the schools. It is not possible for the government provide such huge sums at one go. A meeting will be held with corporate houses soon in this regard. Many donors have come forward to join hands with the government to improve schools,”  the minister told mediapersons here on Saturday. He said committees under the chairmanship of donors would be set up at local level for developing schools. Local MLAs and head masters would also be in the committee. In all probability, the plan would be set in motion by next June, he added. The minister said there were 24,000 vacant post of teachers in the department and recruitment would be taken up soon after the process of granting Hyderabad-Karnataka region is completed. In the first phase, 6,000 teachers would be recruited. As many as 12,000 guest lecturers would be recruited for colleges. In addition, the services of 4,000 teachers retiring this year-end, would be continued till the completion of the current academic year. He said it had come to notice of the government that some private schools have begun admission process even before the calendar of events is announced by the department. He warned that action would be initiated against such schools. 'Nothing wrong’ When reporters drew his attention to his controversial statement in Shimoga on Friday that there was nothing wrong if the poor sell rice they get under the Anna Bhagya scheme, Ratnakar said, "My intention has not been understood properly. There is nothing wrong if a poor person, who is in need of money to buy medicines, sells a few kg rice he gets under the PDS. Can rice be more important than life? But I am not saying that Anna Bhagya scheme should be misused or rice should be sold,” he said.   Deccan Herald