JOIN USCentre urges schools to dedicate fortnight to promote cleanliness
The Centre has sought to engage country's schools in a 15-day long special drive to promote cleanliness next month, asking the States to consider starting with making students and the teachers take pledge for 'Swachhta' on September 1.
Setting the agenda for the fortnight, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has proposed a host of activities to be organised in schools between September 1 to September 15.
“Increased focus may be given on community participation for the Swachhta Abhiyan in schools/institutions and teachers may also be involved in undertaking cleanliness and awareness drives in near by areas,” the Ministry stated in a recent advisory to the States.
It has suggested that students and teachers should take out a 'Swachhta march' and also undertake cleanliness activities with community participation in their respective localities on September 3, which is a Sunday.
“Teachers and students in association with local representatives should propagate the theme of the Pakhwada (fortnight) among citizens in nearby areas,” the Ministry added.
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday urged the Education Ministers and senior officials of the education department of various States to make the 'Swachhta Pakhwada' (cleanliness fortnight) a success.
“Schools have worked hard over the last one year to improve the sanitation facilities in the schools. The schools should maintain the same by participating in the Swachhta Pakhwada,” the Union Minister told the states during the meeting held through video conferencing.
Schools should also share their pictures “depicting the good work” that they have done so far in keeping their campus clean, he added.
Ahead of the 'Swachhta Pakhwada,' the Ministry has begun an exercise to evaluate the level of cleanliness maintained at the schools operating in different parts of the country. The move has been initiated to rank the schools on the basis of the evaluation results.
“The Department has initiated a Swachhta ranking for schools to incentivize the efforts of schools towards maintain a clean and healthy environment,” the HRD Minister told the States during the meeting.
Schools are busy this month in holding various activities along with regular classes to commemorate 75th year of Independence and 70th year of India's freedom from British Rule between August 9 to August 30 on an advisory from the HRD Ministry.
West Bengal Government, however, has directed it's schools to ignore the Ministry's advisory, asking them to celebrate the Independence Day in the manner it has been celebrated in the State so far.