MM: State govt to give schools star ratings according to teaching standards & infrastructure: May 10

After colleges, it is the turn of schools in the state to get star gradings. The Maharashtra government’s proposal of setting up a State Assessment and Accreditation Council (SAAC) for schools on the lines of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for colleges is now with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for his final approval.

Schools will be given grades in one of six categories according to quality of education and availability of infrastructure, among other criteria. The highest rating will be A++, followed by five stars, four, three, two and one star. 

 Learning resources, innovative practices, leadership (both intra and inter school), curriculum development and execution, and research and governance at the school will also be taken into consideration while giving grades.

  While the grading system will be the crucial factor deciding disbursal of over Rs 10,000 crore that the sate spends annualy on 88,976 schools across the state, for educational institutions, the grading will mean that they will have to maintain or upgrade school infrastructure and teaching or risk losing part or whole of the aid they currently get.

 Significantly, the ratings will help parents choose schools for their children. The SAAC has been mooted by the school education department headed by Prof Vasant Purke and will cover private aided and state-run schools. In Mumbai, as many as 1,400 schools affiliated with the state school board are aided. 

 Private unaided schools will not be evaluated. “We will see how this comes along and then take it forward with the trust-run and private unaided schools,” an official in the education department said.

 Confirming the move, Purke said the proposal is aimed at improving the school education system.

 Basanti Roy, divisional secretary, Mumbai division of Maharashtra Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education said the grading will regulate quality of education and ensure that schools keep a constant check on their performance. “Grading will be done periodically, so schools will have a chance to perform better to improve their grading. The ones already at the top will have to maintain their standard so that they do not dip. This move will be appreciated by all those who have been trying to improve quality of school education,” she said.

  The government wants schools to participate voluntarily in the process to determine their standard of education. But if they fail to toe the line, the government may look at major cuts in grant disbursal.

WHO’S ON THE COUNCIL

The proposed council will have an 11-member committee headed by a retired high court judge. “People who have significantly contributed to the field of education but are not attached to any institutions will be on the panel. This is to ensure fair evaluation. These people will include educationists, retired principals or experts from any field like science, maths, literature, etc,” said an official from the education department. 

   The state government is also considering providing financial assistance to the institutions for accreditation purposes, souces said.
According to Roy, this will bring in transparency. “By a comprehensive third-party assessment, the schools will know where they stand. They will also have to be transparent about their system so that they can be evaluated by the committee fairly,” she said.

WHAT SCHOOLS SAY

Dr Vijayam Ravi, director of education at Smt. Sulochna Devi Singhania High School at Thane said the ratings system will not only ensure healthy competition among schools but also improve quality of education. “But these evaluations should be fair. There should be no scope for manipulation. Also, performance of the school should be visible in the ranking given to it. The members on the committee should see that results are reflected in the student’s and the school’s overall performance and not only on paper,” said Dr Ravi.

 Raj Aloni, principal, JJ Boys high school said the grading can also worry children who don’t go to top-rated schools. “My only fear is that students and parents should not get into competition due to this move. I hope this does not add to the pressure of performance on the kids as well as the parents,” said Aloni.

 Arundhati Chavan, secretary of Parent Teachers Association welcomed the proposal. “Once there is gradation, parents will automatically came to know about the quality of the school. But the government should not decide the quantum grants according to gradation,” she added.

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