12 govt schools in DK and Udupi to receive upgrade under PM SHRI Scheme

As part of the implementation of the National Education Policy, the central government has started the work of upgrading government schools on the model of Navodaya schools by giving them more strength.

Under the Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, 14,500 schools have been identified for improvement, with infrastructure and learning aids to be provided by the central government over the next five years.

In Karnataka, 129 government schools have been selected for the scheme, including eight in D.K. district and four in Udupi district. The schools were chosen based on a list prepared and uploaded online, with information provided for all selected schools.

The selected schools will submit proposals online outlining their physical facility and curriculum requirements, with the central government providing the necessary facilities under the scheme. These may include smart labs, smart classrooms, well-equipped libraries, sports rooms, classrooms, and toilets, among others.

The curriculum under the scheme will be structured into different levels, including foundation, preparatory, medium, and secondary sections. The foundation years (pre-school and grades 1 and 2) will focus on play-based learning, while the preparatory phase (grades 3 to 5) will introduce light textbooks alongside formal classroom teaching. Subject teachers will be introduced at the middle level (grades 6 to 8), while the secondary level (grades 9 to 12) will include arts, science, or other disciplines.

The aim of the initiative is to bring schools under one roof, from pre-primary to secondary PUC, and to develop schools on the Navodaya model to complement the NEP. The initiative is expected to improve the quality of education and provide better opportunities for students to excel in both curricular and extracurricular activities.