BENGALURU: Although the first quarter of the current academic year is drawing to a close, class 8 students of government and aided schools are still waiting for their bicycles which the government was supposed to distribute in June-July.
Not a single bicycle dealer responded to the tender floated by the department of primary and secondary education in March, resulting in the delay. “There were issues when the tender was floated.The department requires 5.7 lakh bicycles, and not many people take bulk orders to sell them. Dealers have to purchase the bicycles from the manu facturers and assemble them.It is not an easy task when the number is huge. The department even tried to rope in dealers from other states this year,“ sources told TOI. The free bicycle scheme was launched in 2006 to motivate students espe cially girls in rural areas to attend school. Fellow and programme head for Universalisation of Equitable Quality Education Programme at National Law School of India University, Niranjanaradhya VP, says the delay is unfortunate. “Access to school for children in rural areas is so crucial, particularly for girls.“
Officers in the department said that the problem would be sorted out soon.Importance of bicycle scheme: Initiated in 2006 by then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, 4.2 lakh bicycles were distributed in academic year 2006-07 at a cost of Rs 85.3 crore. In 2007-08, the number increased to 4.35 lakh, with the government spending Rs 89.18 crore. The number of admissions to schools rose till 2000. While 12 lakh children enrolled in government and aided high schools in 1999, 10 lakh joined in 2000. However, the number began dipping after 2000. The scheme was introduced to enhance enrolment.
TIMES VIEWThe delay in distribution of bicycles to students is yet another addition to the list of ills ailing the state's education policy. The scheme, envisaged at a time when enrolment at government schools had plummeted to alarming levels, needs to be sustained to ensure that such situations do not arise in the future. Coming on the heels of miscalculated moves by the government in the education sector, the delay casts grave doubts over the government's commitment to provide affordable education to the economically weaker sections of the society.