Bhopal:Friday, June 13:Efforts for women’s uplift have been given further boost in the state. The state government which has taken this responsibility unto itself is going to provide two suits of uniform free of cost to every schoolgirl this year. Directives to this effect have been issued to all the districts right now with a view to ensuring timely compliance of this scheme. Rajya Shiksha Kendra would implement this campaign.The scheme would cover all schoolgirls from class I to VIII. Due to well wishes of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan towards schoolgirls, they would no longer worry about school uniform. As per the scheme, this year Rs 200 per schoolgirl instead of Rs 90 is being provided to Parent-Teacher Associations for providing two suits of school uniform to each girl. Since uniforms would be stitched on a large-scale, their cost would also be less. In such a case, the rest of amount can be utilised to purchase slippers for schoolgirls.
Uniform Fairs would be organised at block level in July and first fortnight of August. The purpose of organising these fairs would be to get best cloth for uniforms at reduced rates. These fairs are being organised to facilitate Teacher-Parent Associations. However, it has been made clear that they are not bound to purchase cloth at the fairs and can buy the cloth or uniforms wherever available at fair price.
The scheme to provide free uniforms has a humane aspect also. The families having more children find it tough to manage school uniforms for all of their children, especially girls. This may be because of age old practice of discriminating against girls. In such circumstance, the state has come to the rescue of girl children.
However, the scheme covers schoolgirls of all sections of society. Girls belonging to wealthy as well poor sections of societies belonging to different castes and religions would wear the same uniform. This would bring about a sense of equality among them. The girl students of residential as well as non-residential Bridge Courses would also be entitled to free uniforms if their names were registered in schools.