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Gurvinder Singh
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, December 11
Call it sheer negligence on the part of the state government that the students of government schools are attending classes without winter uniform. Every year, students from reserved categories receive the uniform, but the state government has failed to provide winter kits to students from Class VI to VIII.
Some of the students are attending classes in civil dresses, whereas others have been forced to wear old uniform. Various government schools have been trying to arrange funds from philanthropists and the panchayats to purchase winter uniform for students. The government provides grant only for girls and students from reserved categories.
Paltry grant
In fact, the Central and the state governments provide mere Rs400 per student to purchase the uniform. Numerous school heads and teachers believe that the amount is not enough to purchase the complete uniform kit which includes a sweater, shirt, trousers, shoes, socks, cap or ‘patka’, salwar, kameez and dupatta.
What makes the matter worse is that the grant for students from Class I to VIII is the same. “When it is hard to procure a uniform for Class I student, how can the government expect us to buy the uniform of students studying in higher classes?” asked a school head.
A set of uniform costs around Rs950 and if ordered in bulk, one can get a maximum discount of nearly 20 per cent. “The minimum grant per student should be doubled of what is being offered at present,” said another school head. On the condition of anonymity, another school head said: “Let alone small amount, no grant has been released by the government so far.”
“We are forced to seek funds from the panchayats and elsewhere. However, the state government seems in a different world altogether,” said another school head.
ESI staff donates warm socks, shoes to Sarabha Nagar students
The students of Government High School, Sarabha Nagar, recently received warm socks and shoes donated by ESI hospital staff.
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