The state government last week issued an SOP, saying ready-made uniforms for students from the pre-primary level to Class VIII at government and aided schools would be delivered by the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) department by mid-June.
An official of the education department said that since the process would take time, school heads could use unspent money from the funds sent in the 2019-20 academic year to help parents prepare uniforms.
The state government had allowed reopening of schools for students from the pre-primary level to Class VII from February 16. The campuses had remained shut for the students of these classes since March 2020.
“Funds for 2019-20 reached some of the schools as late as February 2020. They could not utilise the funds as the campuses had to be shut from March because of Covid. They must use the unspent funds to prepare the uniforms. Schools that don’t have any unspent funds can approach the Sarva Shiksha Mission,” said an official in the education department.
The government this year decided to get ready-made uniforms delivered through the MSME, panchayat or rural development department, instead of transferring funds to the schools to procure them.
The need to provide uniforms at the earliest became imperative as students have outgrown their uniforms made more than two years ago and are turning up in casuals in school.
“The MSME department will procure the fabric for school uniforms and prestigious assignment for production and supply of school uniforms would be executed through SHG (self-help group) institutions only for the students of the schools (rural and urban) under school education department,” says an order that was sent to all district magistrates.
Stitching of uniforms will start in the third week of March. “Delivery of uniforms to the schools will commence from mid-April and will be completed by mid-June,” the order says.
The headmaster of a government school said guardians had been raising the issue of uniforms since the reopening of schools. The commencement of delivery from mid-April will pose challenges to parents who are encountering financial constraints.
“These parents lack the financial resources for uniforms. Most schools, too, don’t have unspent funds,” said the headmaster of a school in Kolkata. Before the pandemic, the government would transfer funds to the schools and they would engage franchise groups to make the uniforms.