Lessons left untaught: Punjab classrooms search for reforms

As the Punjab School Education Board declares results for Classes 10 and 12, teachers, parents and students once again feel the need for education reforms.

The state schools need enough teachers, books on time and revision in syllabi to keep with the times. A uniformity in education is the need of the hour—dividing schools into ordinary, model and smart can be avoided.

Despite the state government having hired more staff, government schools suffer from a staff shortage – 1,775 in high schools and 1,940 in senior secondary schools.

The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) in a recent report says around 900 senior secondary schools in the state have no principal. Some principals are officiating in as many as four schools. Schools have a shortage of around 4,000 lecturers for senior classes, a whopping 40 per cent of the total.

DTF state chief Vikramdev Singh says the condition in high schools is no better.

Some high schools have recently been upgraded to senior secondary but they lack staff.

At some places, high school teachers teach senior classes. In some cases, economics teachers handle commerce classes. Some history teachers have been asked to teach political science classes.

The department has not been able to arrange the timely availability of textbooks. A student laments that they usually get textbooks close to their final exams.

Teachers also complain about the quality of textbooks. A teacher says science and commerce textbooks are just a copy-paste of the NCERT books, and students have no choice but to depend on help books.

“The state needs to revise the syllabi and make them in tune with the times. We also need a concerted effort in developing a holistic pedagogy to suit the children’s needs,” says a principal.

Also, a large number of schools have poor facilities for conducting science practicals. The staff employed for the purpose is asked to do clerical work. Schools also don’t have an academic calendar to specify the activity throughout the year to help cover the syllabus and include extra-curricular activities.