Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann (File Photo)Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Monday announced to start shuttle bus service for school going girls in order to check the drop-out rate, and said from now services of teachers will not be used for any non-teaching work.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Teachers’ Day here, Mann said it is the basic duty of the government to provide qualitative education to each and every child, while taking care of their basic needs such as transportation, diet, infrastructure and others.
“In the absence of transportation facilities, the school drop-out rate is much higher among girls, so we have decided to grant this facility to every girl child of the state to counter this phenomenon vigorously,” Mann said.
The CM also said that teachers of the state, from henceforth, will not be used for doing any non-teaching work. Describing digital education as the need of the hour, he said that it was necessary to compete at the global level, and hence the government will soon start sending its teachers to Oxford, Harvard and other renowned universities to acquire new teaching skills. The CM added said that being the son of a teacher, he knows the basic needs, problems and plights of those in the profession.
Urging the teachers to shun the path of agitation, Mann also invited them for deliberations and said that the policies adopted during previous governments had created unwanted hindrances but special attention was being given to education and health as these were the core areas of focus for the state government.
Mann further announced the development of Sri Anandpur Sahib and Nangal as eco-tourism destinations in Ropar district.
Earlier, Anandpur Sahib MLA and school education minister, Harjot Bains, said that the state government has decided to develop 100 “Schools of Eminence” and his department was working on a war-footing to ensure the project is completed within the time frame set. He said that Punjab will become the harbinger of another revolution called the ‘Education Revolution’, after showing the path of Green and White Revolutions to the nation.
Later, MP and former cricketer, Harbhajan Singh, who was also present at the event, shared experiences from his student life and extended a warm welcome to all the teachers who had gathered at the spot to hear the CM speak.