This November onwards, girl students in city schools will acquire an additional skill along with classroom lessons. The City Corporation is launching ‘penkaruthu’, teaching the martial art of karate, to equip them with lessons on self-defence. The Corporation is now carrying out the process of collecting responses from the schools regarding the number of girl students ready for the karate classes.
“Girls from standard 5 to 9 will be imparted karate training. Heads of the institutions have been given notification in this regard,” said K S Sheela, Education and Sports Standing Committee chairperson of the City Corporation. The cost of conducting the classes will be borne by the civic body. Along with the classes, karate uniforms and light refreshment will be provided free of cost to the students. The classes would be arranged conveniently either post class hours or during weekends and holidays.
A fund of Rs 5 lakh has been set aside for this project. “Three karate associations have expressed willingness to provide training for the students. And one of them has offered to bear the expenses of hosting the classes on its own so that the Corporation need to arrange the light refreshments alone,” said Sheela.
“To attract more students, before the launch, an awareness session for the parents will also be conducted,” she said.
The number of schools where the classes are to be held will be finalised after getting the list from the schools.
‘Penkaruthu’, a budget announcement of the 2013-14 fiscal, is top-listed among the slew of projects announced for the empowerment and safety of women, taking into account the increasing atrocities against them. The highlight of the budget was also women’s safety. A helpdesk for women coming to the city from far-off places, installation of security cameras and aid for widows were among the other major announcements.