Authorities faculties throughout Gurugram are set to determine kitchen gardens to domesticate greens and fruits for mid-day meals, following directives from the training division, officers mentioned. Colleges with restricted area have been inspired to undertake rooftop gardening utilizing pots and containers to make sure college students obtain nutritious, homegrown meals, they added.
A mid-day meal at a college in Haryana. (HT Archive)
Presently, the district has 366 authorities faculties, benefiting round 166,000 college students below the mid-day meal scheme. Officers have mandated that faculties adhere strictly to the prescribed menu, decreasing reliance on outsourced greens. Non-compliance will end in departmental motion towards faculty heads and mid-day meal in-charges.
The initiative is designed to equip college students, from class 1 to eight, with sustainable farming abilities, fostering self-sufficiency and environmental accountability, district training officers mentioned, including that the finances and different tips are at present being ironed out. College students will domesticate small crops resembling herbs, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and strawberries in out there areas, together with terraces, entrance areas, or alongside faculty partitions, they added.
Encouraging sustainability
To deal with area constraints, the district training division has proposed “container gardening,” permitting city faculties to develop crops in repurposed containers, decreasing the necessity for big open areas. Muni Ram, district elementary training officer, mentioned, “Students will learn that a large plot of land is not essential for growing vegetables and fruits. They can use discarded containers, turning organic waste like kitchen scraps into compost. Additionally, carefully selected plants can help cool the school environment, which is particularly beneficial in hotter regions.”
Dishyant Thakaran, headmaster of main authorities faculty, Sushant Lok, mentioned, “As of now, the food for our mid-day meal comes from the city’s ISKCON temple. However, with the new orders, we have started growing spinach and other leafy vegetables, which can be used for iron-rich meals and salads.”
In accordance with officers, faculties can even combine this initiative into eco-club actions, encouraging college students to determine domestically suited crops and implement progressive irrigation methods, resembling drip irrigation. Consultants, together with native farmers, could also be invited to information college students on sustainable gardening practices, they mentioned, including that the faculties must handle further workers or coaching of present ones on their very own.
Challenges in implementation
Regardless of widespread help, educators spotlight sensible challenges, together with area constraints and the dearth of devoted workers for gardening. Suresh Malik, a instructor at Authorities Mannequin Sanskriti Faculty, Bajghera, welcomed the initiative however emphasised the necessity for correct planning. “This is a great initiative by the education department, as it will help students learn important skills and promote healthier meals. However, proper planning and resources are needed to make it successful,” he added.
Individually, Ashok Kumar, a instructor at Authorities Main Faculty, Mohammadpur, raised issues about area limitations in city faculties. “Most government schools in urban areas have small premises with just 5-6 classrooms. Setting up a full-scale kitchen garden will be challenging as most government schools in the city don’t even have staff for planting, gardening, and cooking,” he added.