DEHRADUN: In an effort to tackle dehydration in children of government schools, Uttarakhand education department will be introducing a 'Water Bell'.
The bell will ring thrice a day to remind students of class 1-8 to drink water.
Seema Jaunsari, director, academic research and traning, state education department said, "Close to 6.84 lakh students will be benefitted from the initiative. Directions have been issued to all district education officers to implement the initiative. By this we will make sure that children of the state are in good health."
The officials said that the students of over 17,000 government schools will be covered in the initiative.
In 2017, Uttarakhand high court recommended to “provide basic infrastructure in the existing schools instead of promoting/ mushrooming of new schools without adequate infrastructure/wherewithal”.
In the same year, observing that bad infrastructure and a dearth of good quality education in schools were the primary reasons for migration from the hills, the Uttarakhand high court on refused to relax the restraint it imposed on the state government a day before on the purchase of luxury goods like air conditioners and cars for officials.
“Due to inadequate infrastructure in government-run schools, parents in interior parts of the state have a tendency to send their children in public schools in cities and towns. Inadequate educational facilities have also led to migration. In case we are able to provide required infrastructure at the grass-root level, the issue of migration can be adequately addressed,” the court said.
Peeved over non-implementation of its order to provide basic facilities in all government schools of the state, the court on Thursday had barred the hill state’s government from buying things like vehicles, air conditioners and furniture "till further order".
On a petition by the government, the court has now, however, said “need-based” products such as water purifiers, "taking into consideration the summer season", could be considered. But that, too, came with a rider. "Officials will have to take permission from the chief secretary of the state before purchasing the necessary items," the court said.