Education is the pivot around which the prosperity of any society revolves. It seems the key point behind the ideology of the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, who has not only promised to focus on the qualitative improvement in education in his poll manifesto in 2017 but has prepared a roadmap to give a concrete shape to his vision at the ground level. Under his visionary stewardship, Punjab has emerged as pioneer state in the country, which has succeeded in bringing in revolutionary qualitative improvement in school education during the past three years.
Fulfilling the pre-poll promise, the Punjab Govt. under " Captain Smart Connect" scheme is providing smartphones to all the +2 students studying in the government school. Today, during the second phase of the distribution of smartphones as many as 1694 students have been distributed among the students in the district.
At the District headquarter, Deputy Commissioner, Shena Aggarwal, presided over the function and distributed Smartphones to a limited number of students. DEO(SE), Jagjit Singh, Deputy DEO( SE), Amrik Singh, Spokesperson, Education Department, Parmod Bharti, District Social Media Coordinator, Gurdial Singh, among others were present on the occasion. MLA, Balachaur, Darshan Lal Mangupur distributed smartphones at GSSS, Thopia and Bhaddi, Chairman, District Planning Committee, Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki, distributed smartphones at GSSS, Mukandpur. The functions for distributing Smart Phones to students while adhering to the COVID-19 precautions were held at as many as 30 schools today, where senior Congress functionaries distributed smartphones. The School principals, staff, sarpanches, punches, School Management Committee members, parents, among others were present on the occasion.
While addressing the gatherings at Thopia, Bhaddi and Mukandpur, the Balachaur Congress MLA, Darshan Lal Mangupur and Chairman, District Planning Committee, Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki, lauded the commendable dedicated efforts put in by the education department especially the teachers to translate the vision of the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh into reality at the ground zero levels. Punjab had emerged as pioneer state in ensuring optimum utilisation of latest information technology apps to provide quality education to the students during the unprecedented pandemic COVID-19, they added.
"With a view to facilitating the students belonging to the underprivileged section of the society to have access to the latest technology to avail the benefits of digital education, the Punjab govt. has started providing Smart Phones equipped with pre-loaded applications related to E.content of the syllabus", further said the MLA Mangupur and Chairman, Palli Jhikki, while exhorting the students to make the judicious use of the Smart Phones to tap the educational and employment avenues for shaping their career in a better way.
Enumerating various steps taken by the Punjab govt. to revamp the school education he said that abundant funds had been provided for infrastructural development in the schools. Punjab is the first state in the country to start pre-primary classes in government schools three years ago. " Khed Mahals" for the tiny tots had been established by providing grants. The process to recruit as many as 8393 pre-primary teachers had also been started and to fulfil the long pending demand of the EGS, Education Volunteers, the relaxations in age and TET had also been given to the eligible candidates to tap the opportunity of entering into govt. service. Besides, grants had also been provided for the extension of augmentation of infrastructural facilities like LED projectors in classrooms, construction of additional classrooms, Educational Parks, School uniforms, BALA work, Computer Labs, Science Labs, CCTV Cameras, Language Listening Labs, Sports facilities, they further added.
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Deputy Commissioner, Shena Aggarwal, said that as many as 2889 students belonging to 51 schools in the district had been provided Smartphones. While 1193 students were provided smartphones in the first phase, as many as 1694 students were provided with smartphones during the second phase today. While interacting with the students and parents, DC asked them to ensure proper utilisation of the latest digital applications for shaping their future. While exhorting them to work hard with dedication to pursue their study, the Deputy Commissioner, said that the coaching classes would be started for the girl students shortly to enable them to prepare for the competitive examinations to tap educational avenues in medical and engineering institutes.