· 1197 posts of JBT, 1533 TGT and 847 C&V filled
· Installation of bio-metric machines in schools
· Existing schools to be strengthened
· Directorate of Inspection to be set up to evaluate the performance of teachers
“I personally recommend starting monthly or quarterly tests for students, especially in primary schools so that performance of students could be assessed better”, said Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh. “We need to evaluate the performance of every child and pay more attention to the weaker ones, besides evaluating the performance of teachers”.
He stated this in a Conference on Quality Education in Himachal Pradesh for Deputy Directors of both Higher and Elementary Education Departments, District Project Officers and cluster heads including Principals of High Schools and above.
The tests help the teachers in evaluating the performance of each student and the standard of education in schools, said the Chief Minister. “It is the moral duty of the teachers to motivate children who were weak and also personally pay attention to such children with an aim to make them perform well”, he added.
“We are stressing more to strengthen the primary education system which is the base for developing students both academically and individually. The grading system has weakened the basic education set up as the child can’t perform well in higher classes and it becomes too late to learn at a later stage”, he said. The Government has made it mandatory to teach Hindi, Math and English to the students from the very first class so that they could perform better while pursuing higher education.
The Chief Minister said that the Government mulls to install bio-metric machines in schools to bring discipline for quality education. He said that in the first phase as many as 136 schools at sub-tehsil level will have bio-metric machines by July to keep an eye on punctuality and check absenteeism. More such machines would be installed in schools in phased manner, he said.
He said that the Government considers opening specialized colleges on particular subjects such as college of Fine Arts, Music, Sciences etc to give better choice to students in pursuing their career.
“Enough educational institutions had been opened in the State and now we need to strengthen the existing schools, provide them with best infrastructural facilities and fill up the vacancies to provide quality education”, he said.
Shri Virbhadra Singh further said that Directorate of Inspection would be set up in which well qualified teachers would be kept to evaluate the performance of teachers. They would be empowered to take a suitable action and conduct sudden inspection in schools.
He said that the aim of the teachers should not merely be to get their students pass the exams, but it should be to bring them in merit. “If the teachers will dedicate themselves with an aim to get placed their students in merit, I think the education scenario would change much for the better of both the teachers and the students”, he added.
The Chief Minister said that the teachers have greater responsibility and should take their profession as a mission, as they were responsible for shaping the personality of the children and making them good citizens.
He also warned the teachers to concentrate more on their job rather than indulging in politics and added that they should create an atmosphere of studies in the educational institutions. “ I have kept the education portfolio with me as I am more concerned about the children and their studies, as they are the one who can shape the future of a state for better”, said Shri Virbhadra Singh.
Additional Chief Secretary, Shri P.C. Dhiman said that the State Government had taken several steps for strengthening the education set up and was also providing various facilities to the students. There was no fees for the girl students upto University level, providing free uniform to the students of even plus one and plus two schools, he said.
Director Higher Education, Shri Dinkar Burathoki, welcomed the Chief Minister and said that during the last three years 1197 new posts of JBT were filled by direct recruitment and 1533 TGT and 847 C&V were filled. He said that to cope up with the shortage of staff, the rationalization process of JBT teachers in all districts had been almost completed.
Shri Manmohan Sharma, Director Primary Education proposed vote of thanks.
Later the Chief Minister also laid foundation stone of Sanskrit college at Phagli to cost Rs. eight crore.
Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Shri Neeraj Bharti, welcomed and honoured the Chief Minister on the occasion.
Chairman, HP State Education Board, Shri Balbir Tegta, Secretary Education, Shri Rakesh Sharma, Project Director, SSA and RMSA Shri Ghanshyam Chand were also present on the occasion amongst others.