The State education department is all geared up to organise a one-month-long cleanliness drive in all the Government schools from October 1.
The drive, in sync with Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan, would focus on personal hygiene and importance of sanitation in and around the schools.
The Director General (DG) of school education, D Senthil Pandian has ordered the education officers of all districts of the State to hold programmes in the schools as per the schedule. He said that the aim of the programme is to ensure cleanliness in the school campuses and to inculcate a concept of cleanliness among students.
As part of the drive the students would be educated about the concept of cleanliness in the morning assembly. The students would be informed about the importance of washing hands before meals and dressing clean clothes. The students would be told not to let water accumulate in and around their schools and houses so that disease spreading mosquitoes not breed there. The teachers would also inform the students to drink boiled water during illness to prevent infection. The schools would undertake sanitation works of the class rooms, library, play ground and toilets. The school heads would ensure cleaning of store rooms and kitchens of their schools where mid day meal is stored and cooked. The school buildings would be whitewashed during the drive. The department has also asked the schools to conduct debates, drawing and easy writing competition focusing on the importance of cleanliness during the month long drive. The DG has appointed the Primary education Director, Seema Jaunsari as the State Nodal Officer for this drive.
The teaching fraternity is taking the drive as a measure to improve sanitation in the school. One of teacher posted in the Raipur block of Dehradun said that the drive would infuse a sense of cleanliness among the students. She suggested that the education department should seek the cooperation of local civic bodies like Panchayats to ensure wider participation in the cleanliness drive.