SHIMLA: The state government has decided to convert 2,050 primary to senior secondary schools into Chief Minister schools of excellence in a phased manner by 2026-27, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at a meeting of the Education Department here today. These institutions would start providing quality education from the next academic session, he added.
The Chief Minister directed the Education Department to prepare a list of such schools by December 13. He also ordered the department to prepare a school calendar to ensure mandatory 220 teaching days in an academic session. “The state government is contemplating bringing major reforms to provide quality education to students in government schools and all necessary steps will be taken in this direction,” he said.
Sukhu said that English medium government schools would also be opened in the state. “A School Adoption Programme will be started shortly where block, subdivision and district level officials will be involved and their expertise will be utilised to improve the level of education,” he added.
He directed the department officials to explore the possibility of roping in guest lecturers by inviting online applications. A detailed proposal be made for hiring guest lecturers and a provision be made to employ them in schools on vacant posts for a year or so, he said.
Sukhu directed the department to prepare a proposal for making clusters of primary and middle schools to ensure optimum utilisation of resources. Compulsory training of teachers would also be conducted on the first appointment, he added.
He said that the state government would encourage schools and teachers doing commendable work by rewarding five schools at the district level. He added that admission to Class I in government schools at the age of six years should be ensured. He reviewed the progress made on Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools being opened in every Assembly constituency of the state in a phased manner.
Sukhu said that the government would complete the construction of Atal Adarsh Vidyalayas at Gohar, Dharampur and Bangana. Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Bharat Khera, Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Director Higher Education Amarjeet Sharma, Director Elementary Education Ashish Kohli, and Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rajesh Sharma attended the meeting.