Using recreational and sporty arrangements for kids such as see-saws and swings and slides, the Bengal Government wants to curb the School Dropout Rate, especially in the Primary Section students. Previously also, the State government has embraced such policies such as gifting bicycles and rain-proof shoes to school going children to instigate an interest among the youth of the state to come to school regularly. Even the help initiated by the government, for underprivileged girl child-the ‘Kanyashree’, the financial aid to girls to pursue their higher studies has worked quite well thus far. Even marking a significant upward trend in school going student is the national mid-day meal scheme.
The policies mentioned, have so far been majorly successful, and hence the education ministry of the state has undertaken this fresh project of installing swings and slides in the free space adjacent to the government-funded and aided Primary Schools in West Bengal to attract more and more students. They have got this idea from the private playschools which bank upon the attractiveness of their education institutes as a ‘child-drawing’ attribute. The proposal was brought to attention by the education minister himself, Partha Chattopadhyay, in the Bidhan Sabha Question-Answer session. In fact, Partha Chattopadhyay was quoted saying that officials have already been instructed to do a check on the infrastructure of the schools along with the mid-day meal check. He defended the proposal by stating that by attracting students by the park-equipments, there is a high chance that the School-dropout rate can be arrested.
When asked about another pending policy regarding distribution of school bags, the minister kept mum on the topic and only said that the policy execution is put on hold for a while. However, the opposition is asking the proponent to look into the matter of Para-teachers and their allowances and perks, which the minister has sworn to look into with at most sympathy.
Source: http://goo.gl/OlYlF9
