Proposal to privatise BMC schools rejected

To provide quality education to civic schoolchildren, the BMC had proposed allowing private educational institutes to take over its schools under the “improved school adoption scheme”.

But the education committee members, on Tuesday, unanimously rejected the privatisation of school proposal. They also raised concern over the decreasing number of students in civic schools. Nearly five proposals were tabled in the committee, which sought approval of merger of those schools that have low number of students.

“There is no clarity in the policy about what benefits private managements will get in lieu of providing quality education to BMC schools. The ambiguity in the policy may invite vested interest from the private school managements. No school providing quality education is run without any income,” said a civic official.

Under this scheme, the private school, charitable trust or NGO, which would be selected after several filters, would take over the civic school management, including appointing staff.

The private institute would be allowed to run the civic school for 10 years, and an extension will be granted based on the students’ performance.