Rural govt schools to get more teachers: Education Minister

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 19

Punjab Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said today that to impart quality education to students, especially in rural areas, the state government would appoint more teachers in government schools located in such areas.

Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a function to felicitate students participating in the Zonal Level Co-Curricular Academic Competitions at Government Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, here today, the minister said more teachers would be pressed into service in the rural areas.

Singla also said by April 1, 2020, more teachers would be assigned in such areas for which the recruitment process had been started.

The minister said the policy of rationalisation of the teachers had produced the desired results. To bring transparency in transfers and postings of the teachers, the online transfer policy was implemented. Singla said the policy had produced desired results and till now, 7,000 teachers had been posted/ transferred, based on their ACRs and their ability.

Replying to another query, the minister said the state government would pay heed towards genuine demands of the teachers. A justifiable increase would be made in the salaries of RMSA teachers and Sikhya providers who are rendering their services in the department.

Singla said the roadmap would be implemented for all teachers of all cadres with probation period. On another query, the minister said he would hold talks with the Transport Department for ensuring safety of students being ferried in auto-rickshaws and buses by private schools in the state.

The minister said the function was aimed at commemorating the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev. He said students from VI to VIII classes showcased their talent in various cultural items, adding that students from Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Barnala, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts have participated in various events, including song, cultural dance, giddha and bhangra, declamation and painting.

MLAs Rajinder Beri and Hardev Singh Laddi, PUNSUP Chairman Tajinder Singh Bittu, PSEB Chairman Manohar Kant Kalohia, District Education Officers Harvinder Pal Singh and Ram Pal Saini, district Youth Congress president Ashwin Bhalla were among those others present.