In a bid to impart quality education to the girl child, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave nod for complete facelift of 160 senior secondary schools for girls across the state at a cost of Rs 45 crore.A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister while presiding over a high level review meeting at his residence this morning.During the meeting, the Chief Minister asked the officers to give major thrust on the construction of class rooms and ultra modern laboratories, so that girls could get practical knowledge along with the study of science subject in these schools. Mr. Badal also asked the officers to ensure that proper transportation facility was provided to the girl students, so that none of them could be deprived of education.
Taking part in the deliberations, Education Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema apprised the Chief Minister that a special plan has been conceived to upgrade these 160 schools and this entire plan would be implemented in a phase wise manner.
Dwelling on another issue, the Chief Minister approved the regularization of service of the teachers imparting education in Meritorious schools across the state. The services of these teachers providing education in Meritorious schools at Jalandhar, Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Mohali and Talwara (Hoshiarpur) would be regularized in accordance with the rules of Society for Poor and Meritorious students of Punjab. After the success of these schools three more such were coming up at Gurdaspur, Ferozepur and Sangrur.The Chief Minister said that the academic session in these schools would be started from the July this year. The bright students securing 80% or more marks were imparted quality education free of cost along with boarding and lodging facilities.The Chief Minister also asked Dr. Cheema to make concerted efforts for overcoming the shortage of teachers of government schools at every cost. He said that if any teacher retires during the academic session then new teacher must be recruited from waiting list so that the studies of children do not suffer.In another significant decision, the Chief Minister also gave nod for introducing pre-primary classes in all the Model and Adarsh schools of the state.
Reviewing the progress of Adarsh schools in the state, the Chief Minister asked the Chairperson of Punjab School Education Board to develop these schools ion lines of Meritorious schools so that students could be benefitted from it. The Chief Minister also announced that in order to imbibe scientific temper amongst the students of 6th class onwards from all the government schools across the state ‘Mukh Mantri Vigyan Yojna’ would be embarked on February 18 from SAS Nagar (Mohali). He said that under the scheme, over 28000 students from class 6thonwards of government schools would be taken for an excursion to Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurthala at state government’s expenditure during the current financial year. Mr. Badal said that the sole objective of this scheme was to apprise them of various scientific activities related to earth and universe to re-kindle an urge for scientific temper and quest for advanced learning in these subjects. “This is the need of the hour to make a paradigm shift in student’s mindset to develop aptitude and curiosity for knowledge in science subjects to enable them to compete globally with their peers during their pursuit of excellence and professional career” he added.Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema, Principal Secretary Education Dr. G Vajralingam, Director General School Education Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Joint Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Kumar Amit and Chairperson of Punjab School Education Board Mrs. Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal.