In a major decision Karnataka Government has decided to introduce churidars, a switch from skirts as uniforms for the girl students in Government high schools from next academic year.
The Department of Primary and Secondary Education got in-principle approval from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the purpose. According to officials this will be applicable to around 5.18 lakh girl students in Government high schools from the 2017-2018 academic year. According to official sources this move was taken after a series of sexual harassment cases were reported in Government schools.
According to Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait the move is aimed at ensuring girls’ safety. He was speaking to reporters after a review of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Churidars for girl students studying in classes 8, 9 and 10 are scheduled for delivery shortly, Sait said.
He said “The churidars will be given considering their safety and will also help them in such situations. It will benefit 60 lakh students throughout the State.”
While the State Government gives the material to students, the onus of stitching them is on the schools. Many high school students in fact are already wearing churidars. However, with Chief Minister giving nod for making it as the uniform, schools will have to ensure that high school students will have to mandatorily wear churidar and not skirts and shirts. Girl students in primary schools will continue to wear skirts and shirts/blouses. Meanwhile, boys in primary schools will continue to wear shorts and shirts while high school boys will wear pants and shirts.
Education Minister also said the Government would appoint 10,000 teachers for primary and secondary schools throughout the State in the present academic itself. There are a total of 14,584 vacancies for teachers in primary schools. In addition to 10,000 teachers this year, as many as 4,000 each will be appointed in 2017-18 and 2018-19, said Sait. “The Chief Minister has also given his consent for this appointment,” said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his dissatisfaction over the delay in the implementation of some programmes and highlighted that textbooks, uniforms, bicycles and shoes for students must be made available at the beginning of the next academic year.