Bengaluru: Following reports of children falling sick after being served midday meals in schools, the State government has decided to test the nutritional standards of midday meals in three districts on a pilot basis.
The quality of meals will be tested at Ramanagaram, Mandya and Mysuru districts by the Primary and Secondary Education Department. As many as 30 to 40 schools are present in each district.
Speaking to mediapersons on Friday, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Tanvir Sait said that the midday meals should be tested by accredited laboratories for ensuring that the meet quality and nutrition standards. The government will establish laboratories at cluster levels to check the quality of midday meals given to children, the minister confirmed.
Recruitment of teachers
The minister stated that a decision had been taken to recruit 18,000 school teachers in the next three financial years to fill vacancies. Around 14,584 teacher posts are vacant in schools, a total of 10,000 school teachers would be recruited in the current financial year (2016-17) and 4,000 each would be hired during 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Recruitment of graduate teachers has been recommended by the government to improve the quality of education in government schools and both teaching and non-teaching staff will be trained to improve the standards, he stated.
He also said, schools with poor student attendance will not be shut down and it has not been possible for the government to establish schools within 3 km radius in few places. Additional staff will be moved to other departments keeping in view the administrative reforms, he said.