Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s “impressive” resume on Tuesday apparently came to the rescue of Punjab Government schools, a day after its poor performance in the Class X examination wherein 42 per cent students failed.
Upset with low percentage, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh quoted the example of Dr Manmohan Singh to say that even a Government school student could make it big. “The problem is not with the system, but how it is being run,” said Capt Amarinder while speaking in the interactive session at the PHD Chamber of Commerce.
Maintaining that the education system “is in shambles”, Capt Amarinder shared that he had spoken to State Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary in the morning to convey that she had to get down to the job “to find the ways how to improve the education system and give me report within a week”.
“I have assured her that we will find the finances...you give us how to improve,” added Capt Amarinder.
During the session, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar also suggested to collaborate with the Switzerland in the education sector, which has three-tier system.
Renowned industrialist RK Saboo also stressed for “improving school infrastructure...provide best of teachers which would witness more and more people opting for Government schools...and the private schools will itself fall in line”.
Disappointed, Capt Amarinder on Tuesday morning issued strict instructions to the Education Minister to prepare a blueprint for raising the standard of learning in the State.
He directed the Minister to personally work on an agenda to raise the bar of education in the state in order to equip Punjab students to compete in the market for jobs and career progression.
The Chief Minister also directed the State Finance Department to make all necessary funds available to the education department for undertaking urgent measures to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in Government schools.
In Class X Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) examination, the result of which was declared a day before, 57.5 percent passed out of total 3.3 lakh students appeared in the examination, held in March. As 1.9 lakh students passed the exam, a whopping 45,734 students failed and 94,271 students got reappear.
The result of Class XII PSEB exam was no different as the pass percentage dipped by 14 per cent from 76.77 per cent in 2016 to 62.36 per cent. A total of 3.14 lakh students had appeared in Class XII exams, out of which 36,376 students failed as against over 16,000 in 2016.
About 37 per cent of students, who appeared for the examination, either failed or got reappear or compartment. Moreover, the merit list of students in 14 districts out of the total 22 districts in the state remained less than the double digit figure.
“I am very disturbed at the deteriorating standard of education in Punjab, as a result of which our children are falling by the wayside in the race for good jobs and career growth, with most of them even failing to clear the necessary exams for getting into the armed forces,” said the Chief Minister, in an official statement.
“The fact that only 24 students from government schools had made it to the merit list is a serious cause for concern,” he said while pinning the responsibility on the education department.
Capt Amarinder had earlier ordered several sweeping policy changes to raise the bar of education in the state.
At a review meeting of the education department earlier this month, he had approved a policy for online transfer of government teachers from the next academic session, on lines of a similar system in several other states, including neighbouring Haryana.
He had also asked the Principal Secretary, Finance, to make a special provision in the forthcoming budget to ensure proper infrastructure in terms of electricity, furniture, toilets and playgrounds in all government schools in the state.
Chief Minister had directed the Additional Chief Secretary (School Education) to work out the estimated expenditure for raising the necessary demand with the finance department in this regard.
Capt Amarinder reiterated his earlier directives on inclusion of foreign languages in the school curriculum to enable gainful employment of students not just within the country but globally too.
He once again stressed the upgrade of English teaching in schools to empower students to meet global communication needs.