Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh said the state government would ensure one music teacher and one physical training teacher in all the government schools of the state. He was addressing ‘Samman Samaroh’ organised to honour the meritorious students in the campus of H.P Board of School Education Dharamshala today.
He said there was a mushroom growth of private schools in every part of the State and to meet the standards, the government would ensure adequate measures to provide all facilities to the students studying in the government schools. To begin with, the government had already decided to introduce Hindi, English and Mathematics subjects’ right from the first class. All the government school in the state will have separate toilets for the girls, boys and the teachers, said the Chief Minister so as to maintain cleanliness adding that the students would be made aware of the benefits of the cleanliness and to keep their environs green and clean.
He said Himachal Pradesh had made rapid progress in the field of education and the main focus of the government was to open new school in rural and far-flung areas with a special motive to provide education to girl child at their very door-steps.
He said that it was during his tenure as Chief Minister that the School Education Board was shifted from Shimla to Dharamsala despite protests from few.
“I consider Himachal as one and sincerely wanted its office in the lower belt of the State” he said adding that it had progressed in leaps and bounds and today had earned reputation worth eulogizing.
The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of the Chairman HP Board of School Education Shri Balbir Tegta for taking such an initiative.
Shri Tegta detailed about the various activities of the Board and the achievements during the recent past.
The Chief Minister also performed the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 1.43 crore Press Club building at Dharamshala.
He also inaugurated Data Centre of H.P Board of School Education at Dharamshala constructed at cost of Rs. 4.90 crore and distributed scholarship to meritorious students of the government schools who had excelled in academics during the last three years and also honoured their teachers for the dedication towards the profession.
Earlier, the Chief Minister was given a rousing reception on reaching Dharamshala during second phase of his winter sojourn.
Transport Minister Shri G.S. Bali, Forest Minister Shri Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Housing and Urban Development Minister Shri Sudhir Sharma,, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Shri Jagjivan Pal, MLAs Shri Ajay Mahajan, Shri Sanjay Rattan, Shri Yadvinder Goma, Shri Pawan Kajal and Shri Manohar Dhiman, Ex-MLA Shri Surinder Kaku, Chairman Kangra Central Co-operative Bank Shri Jagdish Sapahiya were present on the occasion amongst others.