Maharashtra: Minister Ashok Uike, legislators to spend day with tribal students on June 16

Maharashtra tribal development minister Ashok Uike and all tribal legislators will spend a day with tribal students on the first day of school on June 16.

"We have decided to welcome children to school on June 16, the first day of the academic year," said Uike on Saturday.

He said that his department has been working on this for the past couple of months. "All top officials of the department, legislators including myself will go Adivasi ashram shalas (residential schools for tribal students). The students should feel that they are being cared for and are being looked after," stated Uike.

He said that there will be no classes where there are no teachers. The department has taken care that all classes across all tribal schools will have teachers from this academic year. "We plan to recruit teachers who have completed diploma in education and have qualified in the teacher's eligibility test (D Ed, TET)," said Uike. “We will celebrate June 16 like a festival and welcome children to schools.”

Maharashtra has a total of 497 government tribal schools and 554 aided tribal schools. The tribal schools in Nashik and Thane regions will open on June 16, while those in Nagpur and Amravati regions will open on June 30.

Uike also said that his department plans to appoint one trained nurse in every tribal school so that healthcare needs of the students are met and if anyone falls sick, then immediate care is taken.

India