Maharashtra Govt. to Convert 100 Government-run Schools into International Schools

Maharashtra Government has taken a profound step by deciding to convert 100 government schools into international schools. It is the most significant scheme undertaken by the state government for the public education sector.

The aforementioned scheme aims at equiping the students of government schools to match the international educational requirements. The proposed international schools are said to be launched in the month of June 2017. However, lessons in these schools will be taught in vernacular/English medium. The government intends to include even the schools run by Tribal Development and Social Justice Departments under the said scheme.

There is an expert committee with a school education commissioner as its head that is selecting 100 schools to be benefited by this scheme.

"We wish to choose at least one school from each of the 36 districts. Over 2,000 teachers from the available pool of 5.6 lakh teachers in the state are also being shortlisted," said school education secretary Nand Kumar to DNA. "The international curriculum will be adapted and adopted to the Maharashtra context," says Kumar.

The Maharashtra government will include more schools in this scheme in future.

There is a separate cell created by school education department that takes care of international eduction. The education department is busy hiring consultants from Cambridge University in order to create world-class syllabus, teachers' training programs and support structures for the 100 schools.

The students from all 100 schools will take global assessment tests like Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) in order to keep the quality of education in sync with global standards.

Maharashtra Govt Promotes Sports in the State

Here is what the students of 100 schools will do:

• Class 4 students will participate in PIRLS exams every four years

• Class 4 and 8 students will participate in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study every four years

• Students who are more than 15 years of age will participate in PISA exams every three years

Another unique twist to be introduced by the scheme is that teachers and principals will continue their work for only five years in the schools; if they want to continue, they can apply again for their respective posts. The purpose behind introducing such changes is to encourage other schools to join the scheme.

The above mentioned move, if proves successful, will definitely emerge a model to other states as well. It is a welcome scheme from the point of view of improving the conditions of government-run schools in the state.

Read: Maharashtra Board SSC, Class 10 Exam Time-table 2017 Declared!