180 schools sanctioned, only two set up

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Sept. 1: Only two newly set up high schools started functioning in this district in the current financial year out of 180 sanctioned by the Sarba Shiksha Mission (SSM). The district education officials said that they could not execute the plans for setting up schools owing to model code of conduct for by-polls and rural polls. The district officials were waiting for the completion of the entire process to form civic bodies including the Zilla Parishad because the sabhadhipati was one of key members of the committee to take a final decision for setting up such new schools. It is learnt that the district magistrate, sabhadhipati and the district inspector of schools will sit together soon to take steps to execute the programme for setting up the rest of the 178 schools across the district. According to official sources, the SSM has allotted Rs 4.55 lakh for setting up one new secondary school in this financial year. According to the district inspector of schools, Mr Chinmay Sarkar, two new schools have been set up recently. One is located at a primary school in Ratua block named after Ratua Girls’ High Schools and another one has been set at Majampur Jr Basic School in Kaliachak I block. The local people have named the school as Majampur Girls’ High school. In Ratua, the locals including village education committee members managed land from the primary school to begin a girls’ high school there. But at Majampur the present school committee will have to manage or buy a plot of land for setting up its new building. Initially, the newly formed body, where the local sub inspector of schools will function as secretary, will run the school with the help of three retired teachers. The school will start teaching students from class V.The DI Mr Chinmay Sarkar said that the department would send a vacancy list of teachers to school service commission (SSC) for the newly formed schools during recruitment of teachers there.It was also decided that within one year the present committee would conduct elections to form a managing committee for the newly set up schools.