Hyderabad: In a move to promote sports and games among the school children besides ensuring their physical health fitness, the School Education department has released sports grant for the sports grant and local body schools across the State.
In a proceeding recently issued by the department, a total of Rs.16.52 crore sports grant was released for the 25,039 with 17,042 primary, 3,134 upper primary and 4,863 high schools under different managements.
Depending on the level of the school, the grant will be distributed. Each primary school has been provided Rs.5,000, while each of the upper primary and high schools will be given Rs.10,000.
As for the primary classes, citing the Ministry of Education guidelines, the department suggested the schools to purchase 20 shortlisted equipment. The suggested equipment for Class 1-5 included plastic cricket bat, wooden cricket bat, soft ball, tennis ball, plastic balls, basketball, Frisbee, multi coloured hula hoops, saucer cone and bean bags.
Likewise, for upper primary students, shot put, skipping rope, wooden cricket bat, tennis ball, throw-ball, agility ladder, foot pump and first aid kit were suggested. In addition to equipment advised for upper primary schools, high schools can purchase badminton rackets, badminton shuttle, rugby ball-senior, and football along with the goal post.
Apart from the sports grant, the department has released 100 per cent of the composite school grant totaling Rs.74.16 crore with 50 per cent in the first phase and remaining Rs.37.08 crore recently to 26,337 schools.
These grants sanctioned to schools on the basis of enrollment are put to use for provision of stationery i.e. chalk pieces, white papers, register and conducting exams. They can also be used for paying the electricity and internet bills besides repairing computers, projector, K-Yan or TV.
The management committee of the schools concerned has been instructed to make resolutions to utilize these grants. The DEO staff and MEO are asked to monitor the utilization of the grants.