24 March,2017 03:53 PM IST | | Faisal Tandel
Physical training (PT) teachers of schools from Thane, Palghar, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar are being trained in martial arts to pass on the lessons to girl students
Physical training (PT) teachers of schools from Thane, Palghar, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar are being trained in martial arts to pass on the lessons to girl students.
The self-defence initiative, to be replicated across the state, has been given the nod of the state government. The idea comes from Shubha Gautam Padhye (48), former corporator from Kalyan and president of the BJP's women's morcha, Thane and Palghar.
Padhya recently met Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and convinced them to allow PT teachers to be trained to teach schoolgirls from Std I-VIII self-defence lessons.
"The government is taking several steps for women's empowerment, but young girls need to learn to defend themselves in sticky situations. These lessons need to be taught early to build their mental and physical strength, and boost their confidence," reasoned Padhya.
Members of the BJP's women's morcha have begun visiting schools in Thane and Palghar to train PT teachers.
"While some students go for self-defence classes on their own, our aim is to make it mandatory across schools. In a week, two days of PT classes can be set aside to teach martial arts," Padhya added.
