Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 27: A large number of children have remained out of the schools after the Covid lockdown period. The state government has viewed this situation seriously. It has asked the panchayat members and officials to identify the children who have remained outside the schools and to see that they are readmitted into the schools.

Reports said that as part of the panchayat development, the members have been urged to work towards making the entire panchayats literate and to encourage adult literacy programmes.

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It is learnt that in tune with the government instructions, the panchayat officials have been planning to include snacks additionally along with the midday meal to attract students.

In the survey conducted by the rural development and panchayat raj department, the shocking information that 1.59 lac children have not been attending schools after the lockdown period was revealed. Most of the children who have stayed away from the schools are working as coolies to support family finances, it is gathered.

The government is concerned by this development. It wants to admit the school dropout students back into schools. To reduce the dropouts, it has asked the panchayat members and officials to extend facilities which might attract the students back to schools.

In the meanwhile, panchayat raj principal secretary, Uma Mahadevan, has issued a circular under which she has asked the panchayats to make use of the 14th and 15th finance commission grants for improving the condition of the schools.