Four months after the new academic session began, several students in government schools are still waiting for their uniforms, with many, particularly new admissions, attending classes in civil clothes.
The academic session started in April, but the delay in supplying uniforms has meant that many students have not been able to wear the prescribed school uniform even after a substantial part of the session has passed. Teachers said the issue is particularly visible among pre-primary students and boys belonging to general category.
Jagjit Singh Mann, district president, Government Teachers’ Union and headteacher of Government Primary School, Mangli Uchi, said schools generally submit their uniform requirements after the enrolment process is completed.
“Enrolments are usually completed by mid-May, after which we were asked to submit the demand for uniforms. Nearly all the bills have been sent, but they have not been cleared yet,” he said.
Teachers said the delay in clearing bills has also affected vendors and resulted in an uneven supply of uniforms across schools. While some vendors provide uniforms to schools despite pending payments, others wait for their dues to be cleared before making the supply. As a result, uniforms have reached some schools, while students in others continue to wait.
Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, district president of the Lecturer Cadre Union, said uniforms had reached almost all students in his school at Dhanansu where teachers were able to coordinate with vendors.
“The uniforms for almost all students have arrived because of our coordination with the vendor, but the bills have not been cleared. Until uniforms are available, newly admitted students attend school in uniforms from their previous schools,” he said.
The delay has created difficulties for newly enrolled children, who have little option but to attend classes in regular clothes.
Deputy district education officer (elementary) Manoj Kumar said the department was working to complete the process on priority. “It is under process. The block primary education officers are working on their toes to finish the work on a priority basis. We are supposed to send the bills to the treasury office whenever they are received from the blocks concerned,” he said.