UP Directs Schools to Ensure Students Wear Full Winter Uniforms Amid Severe Cold Wave

Lucknow: With a persistent cold wave gripping the state, Uttar Pradesh education authorities have instructed officials to rally teachers in promoting the use of complete winter uniforms for students once government schools reopen.

Additional Chief Secretary for Basic and Secondary Education, Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, has directed block education officers across all 75 districts to promptly organize meetings with school head teachers. The goal is to persuade parents to dress children in full winter attire, including sweaters, socks, and shoes, when classes resume after the current closure.

Government schools remain shut until January 14 due to the harsh weather. In his orders, Sharma emphasized that head teachers at primary and upper primary levels should remind parents to utilize funds directly transferred by the government via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for purchasing these essential winter items. This measure aims to protect students from the extreme cold’s impact on their health and attendance.

Sharma stressed that parents bear the duty of ensuring regular school attendance in proper uniforms, especially since the state provides annual DBT assistance to primary and junior high school students specifically for this purpose. He noted that, amid the ongoing severe cold, adhering to full winter uniforms—comprising shoes, socks, and sweaters—is particularly crucial.

The initiative follows firm guidelines from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, prompted by continuing cold wave conditions, thick fog, and heightened concerns for student safety.