GBN admin seeks CSR partnerships for uplifting infrastructure of govt schools

The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has invited private players to join it in uplifting the infrastructure and quality of education in state-run primary schools under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, an official said.

The administration's move comes days after a wall of a private school collapsed in Noida's Salarpur village, killing two children and injuring three others.

Officials had said that the illegally-run school's building was in a "poor and deteriorated" condition.

"There are 685 government primary and upper primary schools. When the quality of established private schools is compared with government schools, there is a perceptible gap. The gap needs to be bridged," District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh said in an official letter last week.

While the initiative to invite private players is new, the administration had inked pacts with leading private firms such as the HCL Foundation and Paytm last year for partnership in around 100 schools.

Singh said of late, some good companies have come forward to play their roles under the CSR initiative and they have adopted the schools after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the administration.

"Their work ranges from providing infrastructure facilities to improving the quality of education. At times the effort is in form of a joint venture as well. Many are doing good work. All this is being done without creation of any rights of any type and is purely under the CSR initiative," he said.

As many as 580 schools in the four blocks of the district -- Bisrakh, Dadri, Dankaur and Jewar -- are up for adoption and proposals for this could be sent to the administration by January 15, 2019, the magistrate said.

"I reiterate that this will be only under the CSR initiative and all rights shall be reserved with the administration," Singh said.