Education department proposes starting bus service for all students

To create safe and pocket-friendly travel options for students in government schools, the state education department is working towards launching a dedicated bus

To create safe and pocket-friendly travel options for students in government schools, the state education department is working towards launching a dedicated bus services for all students from grade 1 to 12.

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Aspects of the initiative, called Shiksha Vahini, were discussed in a stakeholders meeting on September 20; principal secretary, school education department, Mahavir Singh attended this meeting.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that students in districts including Mewat, Palwal, where the terrain is uneven, had a difficult time in reaching school. Keeping this in mind, the district education officers of all districts were directed to share data on the student-strength in different schools and the route plans that buses would need to follow.

“In some districts, students have to travel to other villages to attend classes and covering this distance can be a challenge. The bus service will provide a safe travel option and parents would also be encouraged to send their children to school regularly,” district education officer Indu Boken Kasana said, adding that the buses would also have an attendant.

The state department of education, meanwhile, has also directed all district education officers and district elementary education officers to reach out to private schools in their jurisdictions to check if these institutions would be willing to rent their school buses to the education department under the scheme. Further, the education officers have been asked to create an estimate of the budget needed for this service and share it with the private schools.

“We are collecting information about the strength of students in various schools in the district. Accordingly, we will create bus routes and share budget estimate with the department,” Kasana said.