Govt plans standardised school uniform across state, stakeholders dismayed | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Govt plans standardised school uniform across state, stakeholders dismayed

May 22, 2023 12:33 AM IST

While the move will result in an additional spend of ₹66.97 crore, students, parents and teachers are posing two basic questions—whether the new uniforms will reach students in time for school reopening in June, and if the material will complement the weather in all parts of the state

Mumbai: Two decades after an experiment to provide standardised uniforms to government schools across Maharashtra failed, the state government has decided to once again go down that road.

Mumbai, India – April 10, 2018: School children attending Digital class, virtual Class at Sewri Wadala Municipal school, at Wadala, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT) (HT PHOTO)
Mumbai, India – April 10, 2018: School children attending Digital class, virtual Class at Sewri Wadala Municipal school, at Wadala, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT) (HT PHOTO)

Starting from the new academic year, the state plans to dress over 64.28 lakh students from Classes 1 to 8 in the same uniform. While the move will result in an additional spend of 66.97 crore, students, parents and teachers are posing two basic questions—whether the new uniforms will reach students in time for school reopening in June, and if the material will complement the weather in all parts of the state. Teachers are also perplexed about why the state government is adamant about reintroducing a shelved scheme.

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The rationale

The proposal prepared by the school education department comes after the state government announced in its 2023-24 budget that free uniforms would be provided to all government school students. Currently, free uniforms are given to female students, those belonging to the scheduled castes and tribes and those below the poverty line.

In a meeting between school education minister Deepak Kesarkar and senior officials last month, a discussion was held on the subject. According to sources, some officers in the meeting were unhappy with the decision and tried to shoot down the proposal, but failed to convince Kesarkar.

If the new decision is implemented, more than 64 lakh uniforms will have to be sewn. “The state government will provide cloth for uniforms at the school level as per their demand, and it will be sewn by the local women’s self-help groups. The charges of sewing per dress are fixed around 80,” the proposal states.

Kailash Pagare, state project director, director, Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad, said, “We hope to purchase better quality uniforms at a lower price if the procurement is done centrally. While there will be an additional cost of transporting the clothes across the state, it will be offset by the possible reduction in expenditure on uniforms.”

Impinging on democracy

At present, the School Management Committees (SMCs) are responsible for deciding the colour and design of uniforms and getting them stitched locally. As per the proposal, the new uniform is a white shirt with khaki pants for boys, and a blue frock or salwaar kameez for girls. With the SMCs in charge, however, many schools have replaced this earlier traditional uniform with more attractive colour schemes. “We changed our uniform last year to compete with the international schools set up in neighbouring villages,” said Naresh Ghatole, an SMC member of a school in Amravati district.

A Class 5 student from a school in Akole district said that her school gave students a say in the uniform. “Every year, my teacher asks us to select a uniform from two or three options,” she said. “We do a voice vote to select our uniform. With this new decision, I will not be able to wear the uniform of my choice.”

Taking the student’s point forward, teacher-activist Bhausaheb Chaskar, said that the joy that local citizens and students got from the democratic process of selecting uniforms was indescribable. “Due to this new decision, all these processes are going to be disrupted,” he said. “Additionally there is the stress on teachers, schools and authorities to finish everything on time this year. If the state wants to give the same uniforms to all children, parents and teachers should be taken into confidence. Decisions should not be imposed from above.”

Vasant Kalpande, former education director of the state, said that uniforms were like new clothes for poor rural students. “Therefore, some schools from their own funds offer two uniforms—one for school and one that students can also use outside,” he said. “Also, the SMC ideally needs to be the body deciding uniforms since local factors like weather make a difference. The state government needs to reconsider its decision.”

Last-minute decision

Every May, funds for uniforms are distributed at the district level to schools by the government, after which the SMC starts the process of buying cloth and getting uniforms stitched. However, this fund has not yet reached schools this year. “If the uniforms are to be purchased at the state level, various processes ranging from floating tenders for purchasing cloth to sewing uniforms and delivering them to schools in the state will have to be completed in one month. Schools in the state will start on June 15,” pointed out a teacher from Palghar district.

Local employment affected

Uniform manufacturers are dismayed. “I have invested around 40 to 50 lakh for the coming academic year,” said Satvik Arote, garment manufacturer and contractor at Chitalwedhe in Ahmednagar district. “With this decision, I will face losses in my business. I started this manufacturing unit in this very hilly area especially for uniform-making. We have an oral commitment from the SMC every year, and start work once the government makes funds available. “But because of this new decision, the state government is not considering manufacturers.”

Arote said that uniform manufacturers from Solapur and the manufacturing association recently had a meeting with school education minister Kesarkar. “We are now awaiting the government’s reply,” he said.

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