In a bid to impart quality education to the girl students especially from the rural areas of the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the state Education Department to prepare a ‘comprehensive plan’ for strengthening and upgrading the infra structure in the government girl schools within a fortnight.A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister, while presiding over a high level meeting with the officers of the Education department at his residence this morning. The Chief Minister emphasized that the parent of every girl child wants that their ward should get best quality education for which the need of the hour was to upgrade the government schools in the state. He said that the spectacular performance of girls in results of the matric and 10 plus two was a testimony to the fact that they were excelling in the field of education. Mr. Badal said that if the girl students from rural areas were encouraged for taking science subjects in the government schools, by updating the school infra structure, then the results would be far better.
The Chief Minister said that the work of upgrading the schools must be done in a phased manner and in the first phase 168 schools of the secondary level must be upgraded. He said that these schools must be equipped with proper rooms, ultra modern laboratories, furniture besides the toilet facilities for the girls. Mr. Badal hoped that with the upgradation of these schools the girl students would be encouraged to take science subjects. Reviewing the progress of government schools, the Chief Minister asked the officers/ officials stationed at headquarter to personally monitor the working of the schools at least for once in a week. He said that it would not only help in improving the standard of the schools but would also help the supervising authorities to acquaint themselves about the problems of the schools. Mr. Badal also underscored the need for introducing vocational education for the students from 9th to 12th class so as to get better skilled manpower in the state.
Taking part in deliberations, Education Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema informed the Chief Minister that the initiatives taken by the state government to open six meritorious schools for poor but bright students of the state coupled with Dr. Hargobind Khurana post matric scholarship scheme has yielded positive results. He said that encouraged by these initiatives 8615 students have scored 80% or more marks in matric during the current year as compared to 4700 students during the last year. Prominent amongst other present in the meeting included Secretary Rural Development Mr. A Venuprasad, Secretary Expenditure Mr. Jaspal Singh, Secretary Welfare Mrs. Seema Jain, Managing Director PIDB Mr. Anurag Aggarwal and Chairperson Punjab State Education Board Mrs. Tajinder Kaur.