BENGALURU: A new dress code will help girls of government high schools to make the most of the free bicycles scheme launched by BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa during his tenure as CM. Beginning next academic year, churidars and dupattas will replace skirts and shirts as school uniform for girls of classes 8, 9 and 10 of government high schools to help them race to their schools with ease, said primary and secondary education minister Tanveer Sait.
Wear churidars! Sait skirts skirts
Primary and secondary education minister, Tanveer Sait, on Friday declared that the state government would introduce churidars– dupattas as school uniforms from next academic year for girls studying in 8th, 9th and 10th standard of government schools.
He told the media after Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, reviewed the performance of his department here, “We decided this after we found that girl students are facing difficulty in riding bicycles which they get under free bicycle distribution scheme. Skirts and shirts do not give them much confidence. Therefore, we chose churidars-dupattas as the new uniform for them.”
In addition, Mr Sait also announced that the state government has decided to teach both subjects Science and Mathematics in English language. “Although the state government had passed an order way back in 1999, we have been deferring its implementation for various reasons. This time, we have decided to take it up seriously in order to improve our schools’ performance,” he explained. Mr Sait said Mr Siddaramaiah directed him to complete the process of appointment of teachers to fill 14,589 vacancies in a phased manner. “We will immediately start the process to recruit 4000 teachers in the academic year 2016-17, while remaining 10,000 vacancies will be filled in 2017-18 academic year,” he added.
The free bicycle scheme was launched by BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa during his tenure as Chief Minister. His government decided to provide 6.70 lakh bicycles free to all class VIII students (boys and girls) in all government schools in non-urban centres at a cost of Rs 145.87 crores. This programme, originally launched in 2006-07, for girl students of class VIII of BPL families, was considered a key factor in ensuring the BJP’s ride to power during the 2008 Assembly polls. It was intended to encourage girl students to continue their education, reach distant schools, and reduce transport time as well.
