Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave in principle approval to fill all the vacant posts of the teachers in schools and lecturers in the colleges on regular basis to ensure smooth functioning of these government educational institutions in the state.
Presiding over a review meeting of school and higher education here at Chief Minister’s Office this morning, Mr. Badal directed the Principal Secretary Higher Education and Secretary School Education to immediately initiate the process of recruitment so that these teachers could be appointed at the earliest. He called upon the officers to ensure the recruitment process in a transparent and fair manner to attract the best available talent from the open market to achieve high standards of education. Mr. Badal also asked the Secretary School education to look into the viability of establishing the state level teachers’ recruitment board for the selection of teachers in the state to cope up the enormous task of recruiting almost 10000 to 12000 teachers, who retire every year. The Chief Minister further asked the school and higher education departments that the recruitment and promotions of the teachers should be regularly done every year so that no vacancy was kept pending.
The Chief Minister also declared that the year 2012 and 2013 would be exclusively devoted to the overall development of government schools and higher institutions infrastructure equipped with well trained and highly qualified human resources to emerge Punjab as a front runner state on the educational front in the country.
Mr. Badal also directed the Secretary School Education to immediately done away with the prevalent practice of deputation of teachers from one school to another. He also gave go ahead to the village panchayats to spend money on the repair and upkeep of schools, which would now be a fit charge on the funds of panchayats.
The Chief Minister also directed that the 25% of the discretionary grants placed at the disposal of ministers must be utilized for the upgradation of infrastructure in the government schools.