Children yet to dressed up for schools in Kerala

KOTTAYAM:
Students of government and aided schools are yet to get uniforms for last year, as the new academic year is about to begin. The reason cited by the District Project Officer A Karunakara is that the headmasters are not cooperating for the scheme.

Students at a government school in Kottayam, Kerala.

“We already released funds to the Block Programme Officers, but they said that the headmasters are not willing to receive the money saying that it is impossible to buy two pairs of uniform with Rs 400, which eventually led to the delay in the distribution process,” describes Mr Karunakara.

Muttambalam UP School Headmistress Merima Abrahim said, “Our students should have got uniforms before Onam last year. Since we neither got sufficient fund nor the materials, we asked them to wear the old uniforms.”

“Parents are already complaining about the quality of uniforms. How can it be possible to provide two pairs of uniform with such less money?” she questioned.

Mr N R Sunder of National Textile Corporation, who got the tender to supply quality materials for the school uniform defined that the tender was finalised by October last year, but the order has not been delivered yet as the state government is idle on the issue.

Kerala School Teacher's Association and Student Federation of India jointly organised a protest in October last year alleging the Education Department of involving in corruption regarding the school uniform scheme. They alleged that the government is supporting a private textile company who was ready to supply one pair of uniform worth Rs 198 whereas National Textile Corporation (NCT) bids Rs 185 for the same. Later the tender goes to NCT.