Reshma Ravishanker
As girl students are all set to attend in-person classes for the first time ever in many Sainik Schools across the country for the academic year 2021-22, infrastructure changes, staff recruitments are in full swing to welcome them to school.
It may be recollected that on August 15, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that after a successful pilot was carried out in Mizoram, all Sainik schools will offer admissions to girl students. Currently, there are 33 Sainik Schools, operational under the Sainik Schools Society under the Ministry of Defence.
Admissions are being offered to girls in class six only currently. While some Sainik Schools that EducationWorld spoke to said that the admission was purely merit-based, some others had it that 10 % of the total seats have been reserved for girl students.
“We took eight students last year but they did not attend in-person classes because of the pandemic. They took online classes only. This will be the first academic year we will have girls on campus,” said an official from the Sainik School in Kodagu. Among the primary infrastructure upgrades, the school will have a temporary dormitory constructed to accommodate girl students. “We are looking forward to welcoming them starting this January. Washrooms meant for female staff at the school could be used by the girls while accommodations have been made inside the staff room for teachers now. We have a female nursing superintendent and caretaker to help the girls,” he said. The school has been considering girl students on a purely merit basis, according to the admissions in charge.
At the Sainik School in Nagaland, 10 % of the total number of seats for class 6 admissions has been reserved for girl students. “We have been awaiting in-person classes to resume post the Covid-19 reopening of schools. Since the number of girl students is very few, to begin with, we are making provisions in the staff quarters, converting them into hostel facilities to accommodate girls. Later, as the numbers increase, a new hostel would be planned. Additional toilets are being constructed for girls,” said a representative from the school.
Further, at a Sainik School in West Bengal, arrangements are being made to provide separate training grounds for girls. The school has an intake of 10 seats for girls in class 6. Hostel arrangements have been readied and they are well fenced. Female helpers in schools, hostel wardens and nursing superintendents are already employed to cater to the needs of these students. We are also looking at having a separate mess and training field for the students.
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Sainik School Satara, Maharashtra
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