Over 39,000 Pre-Primary Students In Ludhiana Government Schools To Get Uniforms

Using a budget of ₹600 per student allocated by the state government for 993 government primary schools, uniforms will be provided to over 39,200 students in pre-primary classes in Ludhiana, as per the education department. The School Management Committees (SMCs) will hand out free uniforms.

Innovative Changes In Education System

Pre-primary classes in Punjab's elementary schools began in 2017 for children aged three to five. In Ludhiana, there are 18,863 Lower Kindergarten (LKG) students and 20,433 Upper Kindergarten (UKG) students, for which the state department has released ₹23,77,600 to the district education department. The state finance ministry has allocated a budget of ₹21 crores for the distribution of uniforms to students in LKG and UKG throughout the state.

The Education Minister of Punjab, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, had announced in May 2022 that the state department would provide free uniforms to 15,49,192 students in government schools from first grade to eighth grade for the 2022-23 academic year. He also stated in an official statement that the education department had released a grant of ₹92.95 crores for this purpose.

Previously, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, held a meeting with the heads of government schools and sought their suggestions on improving education in the schools. Additionally, he introduced an online platform to gather ideas and feedback from teachers to implement innovative changes in the education system.

Issue Of Late Release Of Funds

The official in charge of elementary education, Baldev Singh, stated that steps have been taken to transfer funds to schools and that they have been instructed to award contracts to suppliers for uniforms. He also mentioned that the schools had been told to use the funds within a specific time frame to purchase uniforms. He mentioned that a meeting was held with the district's primary education officials from all regions regarding this.

While most schools welcomed the move, a primary school headteacher who preferred to remain anonymous stated that due to the late release of funds, some schools have had to pay for uniforms out of their own budget, as reported by Hindustan Times. It was also mentioned that the grants were given close to the end of the school year; thus, uniforms for the upcoming session could not be procured. Additionally, the school management finds it challenging to provide students with a complete uniform, including shoes, pants, a shirt, and winter clothing.

Also Read: Punjab: Ludhiana District Tops In Proving Jobs, Self-Employment To Youngsters