Coming down hard on the principal and teachers of Government schools with less than 20 per cent pass percentage, the Punjab Government has decided to transfer them within the district.
At the same time, the State Government also decided to encourage those whose schools have scored more than 90 per cent pass percentage by giving them commendation certificates.
The information was shared by the State Education Minister, Aruna Chaudhary, while responding to the calling attention notice moved by Congress MlA Hardyal Singh Kamboj regarding dismal performance of Government schools in Class X and XII examination of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB).
In PSEB Class X examination, 57.5 per cent 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.
Similarly, 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.
As many as 62,916 students of Class XI had failed one subject and 94,271 Class X students failed in two.
As senior education department official told The Pioneer that the department has decided to take disciplinary action against principals and teachers of Government schools having less than 20 per cent pass percentage under Punjab Civil Services (punishment and appeal) Rules.
“letters have been issued to the Circle Education Offices (CEOs) and the District Education Officers (DEOs) directing them to issue orders for their transfer to other schools within the district,” said the official.
The official added that orders have been issued to evaluate the performance of such principals and teachers as ‘not satisfactory’ in their annual confidential reports (ACRs).
Speaking about elevating the level of education in the State, Chaudhary also informed the House that English language would soon be introduced in Government schools from Class one which would be “an option as we don’t want to force it upon the children”.
She added that the department was also engaging the services of the guest faculty for teaching foreign languages like German, Italian, among others.
No bus to play illegally
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh made it clear that no bus would be allowed to ply illegally on the State’s roads.
“A crackdown against such buses had already been launched and the new transport policy which is on the anvil will clean up the State of illegally plying vehicles once and for all,” he said while responding to a call attention motion.