Students of government and aided schools in the State will soon get two sets of uniforms free of cost.
The project has been conceived jointly by the State government and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and will cover about 25-27 lakh eligible students in classes one to eight. Sources said efforts were being made to get the project off the ground by Onam.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan will cover 8.34 lakh students in government schools at a cost of Rs. 33 crore while the State government has allocated Rs. 80 crore for covering students of aided schools.
The scheme will benefit all students — girls, ST/SC students, and boys from Below Poverty Line families – with the exemption of boys from Above Poverty Line families.
An empowered committee has been constituted with the Director of Public Instruction, SSA State Project Director and textile experts for the implementation of the project.
Tenders have been invited from mills capable of bulk supply of cloth for empanelment. Tenders can be submitted online between July 20 and July 27 before 3 p.m.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan had been already distributing free uniforms to eligible students of government schools. But Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is not expected to expand the scheme beyond government schools. Hence, this time the State government has also decided to join to cover students of aided schools as well.
Designs and colours for uniforms will be invited from participating mills. The designs will be scrutinized by the empowered committee to ensure quality.
School management committees and Parent Teachers Associations are central to the implementation of the scheme. It is left to them to choose the design and colour of their choice from the 10-12 designs that will be shortlisted.
The procurement of cloth and its stitching will also be the responsibility of school management committees or Parent Teachers Associations as funds for this will be handed over to them.
