Education officers take charge, aim to improve system, results

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 24

Maninder Kaur today took over the charge as District Education Officer (DEO) (Secondary) while Baljit Singh Sandoha took over as DEO (Elementary).

While taking the charge of the office, both promised to improve the standard of educational in the district.

DEO (Secondary) Maninder Kaur said she would now work towards ensuring that the results of government schools improve.

Agreeing that the schools located in rural areas needed more attention, she said, “I am aware that there is a shortage of teachers and also lack of inclination towards pursuing higher studies among the students as I have been in the field of education for long now. These problems need to be addressed at the earliest.”

“Children living in rural areas pay more attention towards playing and working with their parents in the fields. The mindset of the rural residents needs to be changed. There is a need to make parents aware of the importance of education in the lives of their children. Teachers will be directed to make sure that they pay attention to their subjects and improve their results. Action will be initiated against teachers whose students will perform badly in the examinations,” she said while adding that she would keep a close check on the schools herself.

Elaborating on the reasons behind the poor results of Bathinda students in the PSEB Class X exams, the DEO (Secondary) said, “The Right to Education Act refrains the schools from holding the students back in one class till Class VIII due to which the students don’t have fear of failing in examinations and don’t take studies seriously. Till Class VIII, they take studies lightly and then fail to pick up pace and gets failed in the Class X examinations. From now onwards, we will also motivate the students to work hard in all classes.”

Notably, for the past six years, Maninder was the principal of Government Senior Secondary School Multania. Under her, the school registered a pass percentage of 98 in Class XII and 76 in Class X.

Pawan Kumar who took the charge as Deputy DEO (Secondary) said the department would dedicate itself towards ensuring that the students of government schools perform well in the examinations. Earlier, he was working as principal of Government Senior Secondary School Jhumba.

Baljit Singh Sandoha has worked as District Science Supervisor for several years. “There is a need to focus on the primary schools as this is where the foundation of a good academic life is laid. We will now also pay attention to ensure higher enrolment and regular attendance of the enrolled students,” he said.

Karamjit Singh, earlier working as principal of Government Senior Secondary School Mehta village, had been given the charge of the Deputy DEO (Elementary).