The Education Minister, Punjab, Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary has directed the departmental officers to focus on ensuring speedy working mechanism in the department, transparent services and result oriented approach leading to the maximization of the performance level.In a meeting held here today at the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) complex with all the officers stationed at headquarters as well as all the Circle Education Officers (CEOs) and District Education Officers (DEOs) (Elementary & Secondary), the minister made it crystal clear that as the Education Department is directly connected to the children i.e. the future of the nation, so the departmental officials would have to understand their responsibility and be accountable because lackluster and dilly-dillaying approach with regard to work would not be tolerated at any cost.
Disclosing more, the minister said that the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh has accorded top priority to the Education Department and has assured every assistance to the department to improve upon the un-satisfactory results. The minister further said that the officers stationed at the headquarters and DEOs are the axis around which the whole department revolves which makes it all the more important for them to take up the challenge to produce better results and take novel initiatives to provide quality education in the schools. She also said that it is imperative for the field officers to give feedback for further improvement in the functioning of the department. The minister emphsised the compliance of the directions issued from the headquarters in letter and spirit and said no laxity in this matter would be tolerated.
The Minister also detailed that every officer of the department whether at headquarter or field must take prior permission from the higher officials before issuing directions on policy matters. In another important matter, the minister instructed the officials to refrain from putting unnecessary burden on the schools by issuing instructions at short notice for the purpose of gathering data from the field but instead update the departmental data at the regular intervals. The minister also said that the DEO concerned must have all the required information about the department with himself.Calling the decision of the PSEB not to grant grace marks in the recently announced results a significant one, the minister divulged that the decision would go a long way in enabling the students to have a better and realistic assessment of himself and arrive at a practical decision regarding his/her future. The minister also informed that the re-appear exams of the students are set to begin from 23rd June onwards in order to save one precious academic year.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary (School Education), Dr. G. Vajralingam said that any work concerning a teacher, employee or retired employee, must be completed at the level of the DEO concerned so as to spare the employee the ordeal of travelling to the headquarter. Taking serious note of the court cases, he said that in case of negligence by any officer resulting in the contempt of court, strict action would be taken against the erring officer.The Director General School Education, Mr. Pradeep Sabharwal assured the minister that no stone would be left unturned to implement the instructions given by her in letter and spirit and the department would work as a team to develop the educational infrastructure. On the occasion, Additional Director (Administration) Mr. Paramjit Singh, DPI (Secondary Education) Mr. Sukhdev Singh Kahlon, DPI (Elementary Education) Mr. Inderjit Singh, Additional State Project Director Dr. Ginni Duggal, Deputy Director Mr. Dharam Singh and all CEOs as well as DEOs were also present.