DW BUREAU / Bathinda

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday said that the state government is making tireless efforts for transforming the destiny of the students by imparting quality education to them at the school level.

Interacting with the students after dedicating the new building of Shaheed Major Ravi Inder Singh Sandhu Government Girls Senior Secondary Smart School on Mall Road, the Chief Minister said that the state government had embarked education revolution in the state which has transformed the lives of students by bridging socio-economic gaps. He said that the state government is according top priority to the education sector as nothing is more important than the well being of the students. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that earlier parents didn't have faith in the education being imparted in government schools but now these schools have been transformed into temples of modern learning.

The Chief Minister said that due to this a large number of students are coming from convent schools to join the government schools. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that health, education, power, water and infrastructure are top five priorities of his government. He said that the state government is ensuring that best practices of education are adopted in government schools of Punjab for the well being of the students.

The Chief Minister said that this is the biggest and lone school of girls in Bathinda where 2200 girls are getting education adding that constructed in 1958 this school was in dire need of renovation. He said that the new five storey building of the school has been constructed at a cost of Rs 11 crore and has 73 rooms including Smart Classrooms, Science Labs, Computer labs, Library and other facilities. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that earlier this school was operational in two shifts but now it will be operational in a single shift for the well being of the students.

Listing other initiatives taken by the state government in the education sector, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab government has sent six batches of 20 principals/education officers for a five day Leadership Development Programme to Singapore. Likewise, he said that a batch of 72 of the brightest primary teachers embarked on a journey to Finland for professional training last week. Similarly, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that three batches of 152 Headmaster/ education officers were sent to IIM Ahmedabad for getting state of the art academic training adding that the motive is to ensure that students of the state get world class education in Punjab thereby excelling in every field.

The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government has regularized 12316 qualified employees working for more than 10 years in the School Education Department. Likewise, he said that Total 10361 teachers have been recruited since April 2022 and a process to recruit more new teachers is also going on. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that around Rs. 82 crore have been allocated for safety and cleanliness in school.

The Chief Minister said that a Total of 118 government schools are being transformed as State of Art Schools of Eminence adding that a budget of Rs.29.3 crore has been provided for high speed fiber WiFi internet connections in all government schools in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Uniforms have been distributed to all students of Schools and a budget of around Rs 35 crore has been released for providing free uniforms to students. He said that a transport facility has been started for 118 schools of eminence and 17 girls' senior secondary schools by School Education Department Punjab.
(editor@dailyworld.in)