Civic students never get uniforms on time

Mumbai: At the beginning of every academic year, the Brih-anmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) education department is supposed to provide 27 items to civic students which include bags, books, uniforms, identity cards and shoes among others.  However, schools complain that these items never reach them even by the middle of the academic year. Further, it has been decided that from the coming academic year 2018-19, fresh measurements of each student will be taken before providing them uniforms, shoes etc.

A principal of a BMC school in Govandi said, “We are promised all the needed items but most of the times, we only get half of them reaching our schools. Last year, several students did not even have bags as the civic body did not provide the same. Later, we decided to store books inside classrooms to make students comfortable with the idea of not carrying bags.”

Another principal of a BMC school in Mulund said, “Raincoats are essential for every student. However, it has now become commonplace for raincoats to reach schools towards the end of the monsoon season. Before assigning the duty of distributing these items to schools, the civic body should check whether the job is being done or not.”

BMC education committee chairperson Shubhada Gudekar, after the BMC education budget, has directed the education officer to take note of each student’s size before sending uniforms, shoes etc.