Punjab award for 2 Jalandhar teachers

Two teachers from Jalandhar will be honoured with the state award on Teachers’ Day at a state-level function in Hoshiarpur tomorrow. The event will be attended by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Education Minister Harjot Bains.

The recipients, Parveen Kumar Karari and Surinder Kumar, have made contributions to enrolment and changing the face of their schools.

Parveen Kumar, an associate teacher at Government Primary School, Bal in Alawalpur block, has been a pillar of support for the past decade. Under his leadership, the school has seen many improvement. Kumar leveraged the support of NRIs, local community members and influential figures to secure funds for upgrading the school’s infrastructure.

He says he also purchased a van to facilitate student transportation. Aware of the challenges posed by the distance some students have to travel, Kumar often goes beyond by personally transporting students and even visiting homes to ensure that they attend school.

“During the Covid-19, the enrollment plummeted to 60-70 students, however, I managed to bring the student strength to 135”, he said.

Surinder Kumar, a physical education lecturer at Government Senior Secondary School, Ladowali Road, has played a significant role. His dedication to sports has led to his students winning accolades at state, national and international levels.

He says that his efforts in training and mentoring have been instrumental in these achievements. Beyond direct training, he actively promotes sports by delivering special lectures and organising seminars to foster greater student interest and participation.