Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) chairman to resign for failing to meet the due diligence standards of appointment, paving the way for a major shake-up of the education department in the light of the poor Class X Board exam results.This was disclosed here by an official spokesperson, who further said the Education Department was in for a complete overhaul in the days ahead, with the Chief Minister directing strong steps to improve the state school education system.The Chief Minister directed Education Minister Aruna Choudhary to seek the resignation of PSEB chairman Balbir Singh Dhol. The interim charge of the PSEB has been handed over to ACS (School Education) and a Search Committee has been ordered to be set up to find a new chairperson in the next 30 days, the spokesperson added.
The Committee will consist of Chief Secretary, Punjab, as chairman, and ACS (School Education) & Vice-Chancellor (Punjab University, Chandigarh) as members.Dhol’s appointment, made in December 2016 – just about two months ahead of the assembly polls, had been a matter of legal scrutiny, with a PIL pending against it in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, the spokesperson said. The Chief Minister, the spokesperson further said, has sent out a strong message that nobody will be allowed to play with the future of the children of Punjab. Expressing serious concern over the poor Class X Board exam results, the spokesperson said the Chief Minister has made it clear that he would not tolerate any further laxity in the matter of improving upgrading the school education system.
Highly disturbed at the deteriorating standards of education in Punjab, the Chief Minister has ordered all concerned officials and departments to create a detailed roadmap for bringing the education system in the state on track. He has also directed Education Minister Aruna Choudhary to prepare a blueprint for raising the standards of education in the state.
In the wake of the appalling results, the Chief Minister had also directed the Finance Department to make available all necessary funds to the Education Department for undertaking urgent measures to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in government schools, according to an official spokesperson.Besides education quality, the Chief Minister had directed immediate and proactive steps for infrastructure upgradation, and provision of basic amenities and facilities in all government schools in order to prepare students to meet the high standards of the competitive educational environment prevailing in the country today.