PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has appealed to big business houses and religious institutions to adopt schools in rural or semi-urban areas to develop and transform them into model schools.
“The government has given utmost priority to the education sector. But I believe that it is not just the responsibility of the government to ensure quality education or development of schools in rural, urban and city areas. It needs people participation and support,” Parsekar said on Friday.
“I appeal to big business houses, as well as reputed religious institutions, to share the responsibility. Adopt schools in rural or semi-urban areas and transform them into model schools so that they are on the same level as the best schools in the cities in terms of quality, facilities, infrastructure and performance,” he said.
Parsekar, who holds the education portfolio, said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was being signed between Education Department and Dempo Charity Trust under Dempo Satya Bharati Rural School Project SCERT, to transform two educational institutes in rural areas.
“We have given them two schools in Pernem and Sanguem. They are primary cum secondary schools. On an initial basis, the MoU is for three years,” he said.
The chief minister said that a religious institution – Mhalsa Devasthan – has also approached the government expressing willingness to adopt a school for development. “Many such devasthans receive huge funds under religious sentiments, the same is used to rebuild the temple, or have some golden crown, if we can make use of those funds for social causes it would be a great thing,” he added.
Meanwhile, a second education hub in line with Cujira at Bambolim, is coming up at Gogol in Margao, where the Education Department has acquired 1.05 lakh sq mtrs of land. “The complex will house all the educational institutions located in the town. The efforts are to reduce city congestion and to bring all such institutions under one roof, providing common utilities,” he said.
