Karnataka government mulls ways to tap donors for improving schools

BENGALURU: In a first, the state government is working out a framework to facilitate partnership with corporates, philanthropists and nonprofits to invest in government schools.

Authorities have woken up to the fact that enough philanthropy and CSR funding to government schools could not be channelled due to the lack of a proper mechanism.

"Guidelines on attracting funding for government schools will be spelt out in about a month's time," Primary and Secondary Education Secretary Ajay Seth said. "Many corporates want to help the education sector. We have had partnerships in the past but it was a disjointed effort without an organised framework."

It is roughly estimated that the government needs Rs 6,000 crore to give its schools a facelift.However, the government is looking at partnerships to go beyond mere financial support.

"It is not the lack of finances but the bigger problem is the lack of adequate governance or management of government schools.We want to partner with organisations that can handhold our schools to improve quality," Seth said. This year, the government will bear half the cost in scaling up successful nonprofit initiatives working towards quality improvement in government schools. This includes initiatives by groups such as Akshara Foundation and Sikshana Foundation.

Last year, the government managed to raise Rs 16.75 crore under CSR, way below what was expected. "Because there was no system in place, those who wanted to work with the government didn't know the right channels," Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan state project director PC Jaffer said.

According to Vadiraja Bhatt, trustee of One School at a Time, a nonprofit founded by techies that raises funds to rebuild rural schools, the biggest problem is that of execution. "By the time the money hits the school, a lot of it vapourises. There has to be low bureaucracy and high transparency ."

Seth said the government is mindful of the concern that funds should reach the school directly without having to go through the government.

"Philanthropy and CSR are supplementary. It shouldn't substitute government's obligation," said VP Niranjan Aradhya from the Centre for Child and Law, National Law School of India University. "There are 37,000 posts vacant in elementary education and 5,707 in high school. Unless this gets substantial finances, it's highly impossible to improve quality."