Provide uniform to pre-primary pupils, DEOs told

Vishav Bharti

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Chandigarh, December 29

With a large section of schoolchildren being deprived of uniform, the Education Department has asked all district officials to provide it to them immediately or face action.

In a communication to all District Education Officers (DEO) on Tuesday, the Director, Education, Harinder Kaur, has asked them to purchase uniform for all pre-primary students from the Rs 21.10 crore earmarked by the government. She said the DEO concerned would be held responsible if the grant lapses.

As per the communication, 3.51 lakh (1.71 lakh for UKG and 1.8 lakh for LKG) students studying in pre-primary classes in government schools are eligible for free uniform. An amount of Rs 600 is to be spent on uniform of each student. Various teachers’ unions have said that Rs 600 were not enough to buy a complete uniform for one child.

It was highlighted in these columns of The Tribune on Tuesday that a large number of government school students were still waiting for uniform. Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, in his budget speech in June this year, had announced that all government school students would be provided uniform.

Cheema said it was decided by the state government to provide uniform to all students studying in pre-primary to Class VIII of government schools.

Rs 21 crore earmarked

In a communication issued to all DEOs, the Director, Education, Harinder Kaur, has asked them to purchase uniform for all pre-primary students from Rs 21.10 crore earmarked by government.