Rajasthan: Teachers and Students Protest PPP Model in Government Schools

Teachers’ and students’ organisations across Rajasthan have been protesting against the state government’s move to run 300 secondary and senior-secondary government schools on public-private partnership (PPP) model from the next academic session.

In this regard, the state government has issued a notice inviting tenders from private bodies in December. This has attracted state-wide resistance from teachers and students. Various teachers’ unions have come together and conducted a protest demonstration on December 27. In a press statement released on that day, it is said that if this PPP model is implemented, 15000 employees including teachers and mid-day meal workers will lose their current jobs.

All Rajasthan School Teachers’ Union is set to organize another protest in Ajmer, education minister Vasudev Devnani’s constituency, on January 17. While right-wing teachers’ outfit, Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh, called for a protest demonstration on January 5 while threatening to vote against the BJP government in the upcoming assembly elections this year if this policy is not taken back.

AISF, NSUI, SFI and other student organisations have been extending their support to the teachers’ unions. Pawan Beniwal, SFI state committee member told Newsclick that this is an anti-poor policy by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje led BJP government.

Beniwal said, “Giving away of government schools to private parties will only make the education costlier leading to situations where students from poor families couldn’t afford their studies.” He added that about 1.5 lakh teaching posts are yet to be filled in government schools which “is the actual reason for the degrading condition” of the school and said the government must ensure to fill the vacancies immediately.

According to the scheme, the schools which are ranked below average are chosen for the PPP model and the private parties which are said to invest Rs 75 lakhs for the development of infrastructure. In this model, the final take on the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff is under the authority of private bodies while the existing government teachers will be adjusted to other government schools. However, Rajasthan government has earlier clarified that the Adarsh schools, schools at district and divisional headquarters will not be included under this scheme.

In total there are around 63000 government schools and nearly 4 lakh teachers in Rajasthan.