Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while chairing a review meeting of the education department here today said that 100 schools across the state would be brought under the CBSE curriculum in the first phase from the next academic session. He directed the departmental officers to complete all preparations within the prescribed time frame.
He said that the CBSE-pattern schools would have a distinct colour scheme and students attending these schools would wear uniforms of a different colour. These schools would be equipped with smart classrooms and arrangements would be made for providing nutritious meals to students in the school mess.
The Education department officials apprised the Chief Minister that so far, 86 schools in the state have been identified as meeting the CBSE standards. The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure that the remaining schools meet these standards as soon as possible.
Shri Sukhu said that the state government was fully committed to providing quality education and there was no paucity of funds for developing infrastructural facilities. He said that vacant teaching positions in the department were being filled on priority.
It was due to the efforts of the state government that Himachal Pradesh had climbed from 21st to 5th place in the quality of education rankings. The government continues to focus on ensuring quality education especially for children in rural areas.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the establishment of Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools and instructed officials to expedite their development. He stressed that these schools should have well-designed campuses with ample space for sports and recreational activities and that they would serve as milestones in bringing educational reforms to the state.
Shri Sukhu further stated that efforts were underway to establish state-of-the-art colleges in every district, providing students not only with quality education but also access to a range of activities for their holistic development. Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Director of Higher Education Amarjeet Sharma and other senior officials of the department were present in the meeting.