Congress corners govt on closure of schools

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 18

The Congress today cornered the BJP-JJP government on the latter's proposal to shut 1,057 schools, and for scrapping the Kisan Model School project and discontinuing teachers training courses in District Institutes for Teachers Training (DIETs).

In the spotlight

• The Congress protested scrapping of the Kisan Model School project and discontinuing teachers training courses in District Institutes for Teachers Training (DIETs)
• Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said Kisan Model School project were being replaced with Sanskriti Model Schools
• CM Manohar Lal Khattar said lack of demand for JBT teachers since 2014 had led to discontinuation of admissions to DIETs

Launching an attack on the government after the question hour, Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal said the government planned to shut schools on the pretext that the student strength was low. She said the proposal came close on the heels of scrapping the Kisan Model School project, which was aimed at providing farmers' children with quality education.

She alleged the government had discontinued admissions to diploma in education course for teachers training in the DIETs, which exist in 21 districts of the state.

"The DIETs charged Rs 5,000 as fees, while students aspiring to be teachers have to cough up Rs 40,000 in private institutes," Bhukkal alleged.

Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar said that as per the Kisan Model School project, the State Agriculture Marketing Board was supposed to pay Rs 32 crore from the Haryana Rural Development Fund, but only Rs 6 crore was paid.

"We have already given an alternative in the shape of Sanskriti Model Schools," the minister claimed.

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