New Delhi: The government plans to establish an independent accreditation authority to rate schools, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said here on Thursday.

"At present there is no accreditation policy on schools. If any child goes to a school, he has no information how the school is. There is no agency in India to accredit them or give the school a rating," Sibal said at a press conference while outlining his 100-day plan for the education sector.

"We will explore the possibility of setting up an independent accreditation authority," the minister said, adding that it would be on a voluntary basis in the beginning.

The step would be taken within 100 days, he added.

He hoped good schools that would like to be accredited would come forward on their own.

"And those who would not apply for accreditation, we will know why they are not doing so," he added.

Sibal said the independent accreditation body would not face any "interference from the government". IANS