Scores of SDMC schools that are lying underutilised with less than 50 students each are set to get a new lease of life. The civic body has decided to revive these schools by roping in private entities. This will be for the first time that any municipal corporation in Delhi would be developing its schools on PPP model. While releasing the Vision Document 2017, SDMC’s Education Committee chairman Ashish Sood said 14 schools, in the first six months, will be re-developed on PPP model while the programme will be expanded to 30 schools in the next two years.
According to the Education Department, there are 14 schools under SDMC where the number of students in less than 50 and 83 per cent of the classrooms are underutilised despite good infrastructure. “We will pass private public partnership policy for tie ups with non-profit schools operators for transforming these schools,” Sood said. He said the private parties will be responsible for renovation of schools and enrollment of students in these schools at their own expenses.
Officials said for rest of the schools, they would approach the corporate for funding under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme. “The SDMC will attract top five corporates for CSR funds to upgrade the infrastructure quality and usage. The corporation will also generate funds for school maintenance by letting out single shift schools for vocational training,” the chairman said.