Mumbai: Around 23 international Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) schools will be started by civic education department by June 15. These schools will provide free education from Class 1 to 10 and will focus on mother tongue languages like Marathi, Hindi or Urdu along with English.
Over 75 principals of various civic-run schools were given training by civic education department on Monday. Principals were inforned about provisions in these schools and curriculum of the same. Teachers will also be given training in the month of May so that they are in tune with the international standards of these schools.
These schools will have provisions of syllabus, curriculum, facilities like laboratories, libraries, classrooms and infrastructure as per international standards. Prakash Charate, BMC deputy education officer, said, “We aim to complete all infrastructure and facility work by December 2018. Schools will be upgraded to international standards in terms of academics involving curriculum and teaching and infrastructure in terms of classroom and studying space.”
Students can take admissions and study for free from Class 1 to 10 and further on these schools will cater till Class 12. “As these schools will continue to function as international BMC schools, they will provide free education. Our aim is to provide free education of international standards to children from economically weak sections of society,” Charate added.
In addition, these schools will focus on mother tongue langue along with other essential languages. A senior official said, “Languages like Marathi, Hindi and Urdu which is mother tongue of most students will be given first preference. English and other languages will also be taught to students as they are essential languages. Some already existing Marathi medium schools will continue to function as Marathi medium international schools.”
Principals and teachers who are interested in international schools will be selected to work in these schools by the board of civic education department. A teacher said, “We are keen about this initiative as nowadays students and parents are all interested about international curriculum. Infrastructure and space are two major hurdles in BMC schools and the authorities should improve and upgrade that on priority basis.”