Berhampur, Sept 3: The Ganjam district administration has decided to launch a special drive to provide furniture to all schools so that students are not made to sit on the floor. The drive was named as ‘Tale Basibaku Na’ (no sitting on floor). As per reports, the special drive, first of its kind, will be launched September 5, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.
The administration aims to cover all the schools in the district in a year. The special drive is launched under the government’s ‘Mo School’ Scheme.
It was observed that students mostly in government run schools do not have benches and desks that forces them to sit on the floor. In most schools, the authorities provide carpets to the students while children in interior places have to bring their own mats from homes to sit on the floor.
Even High School students have to sit on the floor due to lack of benches. This was very unhygienic and an unhealthy practice.
Almost all primary and upper primary schools in the district have no benches for students to sit on. Similarly, several high school have no benches, said the source.
“The objective of the drive is to provide amiable atmosphere to the students for studies,” said District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange, adding that the practice was unhygienic and an unhealthy practice.
The district has a total of 4,466 schools including primary (2,306) upper primary (1,386), secondary (675) and 103 senior secondary schools, said an official.
“In order to provide sitting facilities in classrooms to the students, the district administration has decided to launch a special drive by mobilising resources from alumni, panchayat members, village committees, parents and government officials under the ‘Mo school’ scheme,” said District Education Officer (DEO) Sanatan Panda.
People have appreciated the special drive and came out to extend a helping hand, Panda added. Slowly, the drive will be followed by other districts so that students in government-run schools get an amiable atmosphere to shape their future, Panda said.
PNN