Govt to offer awards for schools enrolling 100 pc girls

In an effort to encourage government schools to enroll and retain girl children, the Human Resource Development Ministry is planning to institute district level awards that will fetch the schools Rs 1 lakh. 

The scheme will be initially rolled out in 100 districts where the child sex ratio is “worst”, HRD  Ministry sources told Deccan Herald. 

Awards to the School Management Committees (SMCs) will be decided under four parameters. Five schools will be chosen from each district under Beti Bachao, Beti Padaho Abhiyan (save daughter, educate daughter campaign)’.

“Rs 1 lakh award may be given to the SMCs which enrols 100 per cent girls in the neighbourhood of the primary school and also retains them in the first year,” sources said.

A further lakh could be awarded to SMCs of primary schools for its effort to transition 100 per cent of girls from class V to Class VI in the same school or upper primaries in other neighbourhoods. 

Similarly, two awards each of Rs 1 lakh could be offered to SMCs of primary schools for their efforts to transition 100 per cent girls from Class VIII to Class IX in the same or secondary schools in other neighbourhoods. 

“The award can be given to SMC of the school which affects 100 per cent transition of girls studying in class X to class XI in same / neighbourhood higher secondary schools,” sources added.

SMCs comprises of parents (75 per cent), elected members of the local authority, teachers and educationists. The head of the school or the senior-most teacher is the ex-officio member-convener.

The award money will be given to the district magistrate, who will play a key role in implementing the scheme right from dissemination of information to giving the award money to the SMCs. 

Open to all government schools, the award money will be transferred to the bank account of the SMC to be used for improving and strengthening the school. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had made Rs 100 crore allocation for the campaign in his budget presentation in July.