CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday announced a slew of measures for enhancing school education which included grant of Rs 1,263.53 crore for constructing buildings for 1,054 schools which have been upgraded as high schools during 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Making a suo motu statement in the State Assembly, she said the Centre had allocated Rs 518.16 crore for constructing buildings for 896 upgraded schools. The Centre and State governments would contribute funds in the ratio of 75:25.
Since the fund allocated per school by the Centre was insufficient, the buildings could not be constructed. The State government would allocate Rs 996 crore in addition to the already allocated Rs 129.54 crore.
Besides, Rs 267.53 crore would be allocated for constructing buildings for 158 schools for which the Centre had not released funds.
Stating that during the past four years, 107 primary schools have been upgraded as middle schools and 182 new primary schools had also been opened, the Chief Minister said this year, new primary schools would be started in 39 residential quarters and 78 teachers would be appointed for them with infrastructure facilities. For this, Rs 11.67 crore would be spent.
As many as 770 additional classrooms would be built in primary and middle schools and repair works would be carried out in 287 schools at a total cost of Rs 56.53 crore.
She said District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs) would be started in Perambalur and Coimbatore districts and 30 new posts would be created for manning these.
Block Institute for Teacher Education and Training (BITEs) would be started in seven districts - Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Nilgiris, Perambalur, Villupuram and Tiruvarur. For the new BITEs, 49 teaching posts and 56 non-teaching posts would be created at an expenditure of Rs 21.75 crore.
For the first time, under the scheme for Inclusive Education for the Differently Abled, visually impaired students studying in the standards between one to eight would be given braille textbooks while those who have visual difficulties, would be given specially designed textbooks.
During the current year, home for teachers would be built in Coimbatore and Madurai districts at a cost of Rs 6 crore, she said and added that from the current academic year onwards, the Provident Fund accounts of teachers who were appointed prior to March 31, 2003 would be transferred to State Accountant General office from the Government Data Centre. This would benefit 1.19 lakh teachers.
The godowns of Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation would be computerised and modernised at a cost of Rs 30 crore, she added.
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