Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): More than 80,000 students studying in the government schools of Bhopal district have not been provided school uniforms in the past 2 years. The students are now forced to come to school wearing their old, worn out uniforms or casuals.
According to an Aaj Tak report, the matter pertains to class 1 to 8 students of 851 government schools. 83,326 students studying in these schools have not been given the free of cost uniform which they were promised under the state government policy.
Children To Celebrate Independence Day In Worn Out Uniforms
A large number of children in the state do not go to school, depriving them of education. For the purpose of providing education to such children from class 1 to 8 studying in the government schools of the state, every year two pairs of uniforms are given free of cost by the School Education Department. These students are given an amount of Rs 600 every year, from which they buy two pairs of uniforms. This process is completed before 15th August so that the students can celebrate Independence Day in their new uniforms.
However, after the corona pandemic, the government starting giving ready made uniforms to the students, made by self-help groups.
63,344 Children Did Not Get Uniforms Last Year
According to the information given by the DPC, out of 83,326 children studying in government schools of Bhopal, leaving classes fifth and eighth and children of CM Rise School, uniforms have been distributed to 26,892 children. Out of the remaining 63,344 children, 36,452 children are yet to get uniform.
At the same time, no one knows what happened to the uniforms of 63,344 children of last academic session.
Teachers Speak
Subhash Saxena, Head Master, Government Suraj Nagar Middle School, Bhopal and State President, MP Teachers Congress, said that the government has not given uniforms to the children studying in government schools from first to eighth grade for the last two years.
“Children do not look good in classes without uniform. They should be given uniforms whereas it is known that the budget has been allocated by the government to State Education Center (SEC) for this a long time ago. But the uniforms have not yet been delivered to the children by SEC. I myself am the headmaster of a government school in Suraj Nagar. Even in my school, uniform has not been received for the last 2 years,” he said.
He further added, “Due to this, children are facing a lot of inconvenience. There are 200 children in my school. We have made demands to the district authorities and the government regarding this. Not only here, uniforms have not arrived in schools in the whole of Bhopal. There are about 80000 children in the Bhopal district.”
Admin Cries Fault In Measurements
Bhopal DPC, RK Yadav said that this year the target was to provide uniforms to 63,344 children. Apart from this, money goes into the accounts of the remaining (5th and 8th class children).
“So far, uniforms have been distributed to 26,892,” he said. When asked about the remaining children, he said that there is some issue in the measurement given to the self-help groups whcich has become a hindrance in resuming the process. He said that the distribution will began as soon as the problem is solved.
Further, when the DPC was quizzed about the pending uniforms of last year, he tried to save face by saying that he has joined only a month ago and does not know what happened last year.
Talking about his role in the whole process, he said, “We provide the data of the beneficiary children to the District Panchayat and the Municipal Corporation. In this we mention the measurements of the children who have to get the uniform, what will be the design, etc. We upload all these data on the portal of the Livelihood Mission and give the information there. The rest of the process is done through the District Panchayat and Municipal Corporation. Self-help groups stitch uniforms and do the work of distribution as well.”
