Govt aims to begin free uniform, shoe distribution for primary students by August
Bobby Hajjaj said participating companies had been requested to submit detailed information on potential donations, delivery timelines and production costs to the ministry.
The government aims to begin distributing free school uniforms and shoes to students at government primary schools by August as part of a pilot initiative ahead of a nationwide rollout.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj announced the plan during a meeting with representatives of leading footwear manufacturers at the Secretariat today (4 June).
He said the government plans to gradually provide uniforms and shoes to around 1 crore 7 lakh students enrolled in government primary schools across the country.
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The pilot project, launched under the government's 180-day action programme, will be used to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the initiative before expanding it nationwide, the state minister added.
Officials at the meeting said more than 400,000 school uniforms have already been secured for the pilot phase through support from leading organisations in the country's ready-made garment sector. The government is now seeking similar cooperation from the domestic footwear industry.
Discussions focused on supplying white Velcro-fastened canvas shoes, without laces, for first-grade students during the pilot phase. Representatives of footwear companies were asked to provide feedback on issues such as age-appropriate sizing, variations in shoe sizes, requirements for boys and girls, and production capacity.
Bobby Hajjaj said participating companies had been requested to submit detailed information on potential donations, delivery timelines and production costs to the ministry.
He added that the government also intends to establish a long-term partnership with the footwear industry to facilitate large-scale shoe distribution in the future.
"The government wants to begin implementing the programme before completing its first six months in office and present visible progress to the public by August," the state minister said.
The meeting was attended by the secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and senior officials from various footwear companies.
