Centre wants women appointed as drivers in school vans

BENGALURU: Soon, you might get to see women drivers and assistants in vehicles that provide transport facilities to schoolchildren in the state. Considering the direction given by Union Ministry for Women and Child Development to hire women drivers and assistants to operate school vehicles, even the state government is mulling to direct schools in the state to implement the same.

Union minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi has recommended all states to take necessary measures to ensure that women drivers and assistant staff are appointed. According to the minister, this will help boost confidence in young children.

“We have received the communication and are forwarding it the state department of primary and secondary education for further action,” said a senior official of the state department of women and child welfare.

However, private schools in the state feel this a publicity stunt by the authority. “When there is a shortage of drivers that meet the requirements of safety and security rules framed by the police department, the government must think about the availability before making such recommendations,” said a management member of one of the CBSE schools from the city.

Speaking about the same, D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka said, “When there is a shortage of qualified drivers, how can the authorities recommend such things?”

He even added that the government must take measures to produce qualified drivers and accordingly make recommendations for employing them. “We are more than happy to appoint female drivers if we get those who fulfil the norms set by police and education department.”

“We already appoint female assistants for school vehicles,” said Marulappa, a management member of Vivekananda Vidyalaya, from Bengaluru South.

Recurring suggestion

This was also discussed at the meeting of Central Board for Secondary Education (CABE) in 2018. In this meeting, representatives of Union Women and Child Development ministry had suggested appointing female drivers in school vehicles.