In today’s Punjab State Assembly, CM Amarinder Singh announced that the Punjab government will provide free textbooks to all students, and introduce pre-primary classes, nursery and LKG, in government schools from the next academic session as a part of its sweeping educational reforms. In addition, it will also provide free Internet service in 13,000 primary schools and all the 48 government colleges.
Amarinder Singh said his government would accord the highest priority to school education and, notwithstanding the constraint of resources, seek to increase budgetary support to the education sector. He also said that five new college will be set up in the current financial year.
To his claim, his government found itself with a virtually collapsed school education system at the time of it’s arrival. He exclaimed about the distance between haves and havenots creates a wider bridge between students. Haves go to prestigious universities and colleges and havenots have to deal with whatever is left in hand.
The government posted books online as an initiative so that students and parents can download them free and use it without compromise.A comprehensive digital education programme will be launched to improve access to quality school education.
Smart classes, computers, free internet for 13000 primary schools and digitalisation of school records in already in progress, CM informed the House. Amarinder said special funds would be earmarked for providing proper infrastructure in terms of electricity, furniture, toilets and playgrounds in all government schools in the state.
One more proposal offered by the government talks about the setting up of three new sainik schools.
In a unique initiative, the government also proposes to launch a programme–‘Padho Punjab. Padhao Punjab’–whereby young NRI graduates and people from across India and the world will be invited to dedicate upto one year by way of volunteer work to assist in teaching in the schools.
The government, said the chief minister, will aim to provide one college in each sub-division of the state. The syllabi of various degree courses, both technical and non-technical, will be reviewed and brought at par with the best in the country. To improve infrastructure, quality of learning and the capacity of teachers, the government proposes to set up an authority to regulate the functioning of private universities and colleges in the state.
A secondary effect will be infusion of great transparency and accountability in the functioning of higher educational institutions.
A Central Institute for Promotion and Development of Punjabi Language is proposed to be set up at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda.
Skill development and industrial training in the state will be revamped in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, and the department also proposes to set up a skills’ university at Chamkaur Sahib (Ropar), which will award certificates, diplomas, graduate degrees, post-graduate degrees and PhDs, the chief minister said.