• Hands-over cash prizes worth Rs. 11-CR
• These schools to be role model for others, says Education Minister
• State-level Best School Awards to be launched in coming session, announces Bains
Chandigarh, March 7:
Inculcating competitive skills and improving the performance of the government schools in the state, Punjab School Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains, on Friday, honored a total of 161 government schools with the “Best School Award” carrying a total prize money of Rs 11 crore.
Addressing the gathering during the award function held at MC Bhawan here, S. Harjot Singh Bains said that 92 primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools for the session 2023-24 and 69 middle, high, and senior secondary schools for the session 2024-25 have been awarded today. He further informed that primary schools have been awarded with Rs. 2.5 lakh cash prize each, middle schools with Rs. 5 lakh each, high schools with Rs. 7.5 lakh each and senior secondary schools with Rs. 10 lakh each.
He said that these schools have been selected through a merit base criteria focusing on the strict parameters including students performance, attendance, community participation and maintenance of school infrastructure.
Extending the heartfelt congratulations to all the award winning schools, S. Harjot Singh Bains said that these schools would be role models for others to follow their footsteps to excel in the field of education. He asked the school heads to further act as catalyst of change in the educational revolution brought by the AAP led Punjab Government. He also conveyed his best wishes to the heads and entire school staff of award winning schools for their remarkable feat. He mentioned that the government is also mulling to introduce the state-level Best School Awards from the coming session.
Underlining the role of school heads in transforming the schools, S. Bains urged the award winning school heads to boost the student enrollment in government schools promoting the initiatives taken by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government in providing the best quality education and necessary amenities in the schools, besides equipping the government school teachers with latest teaching methodologies by sending them to renowned institutions like University of Turku (Finland) for training to ensure the world-class standards education in the state government schools.
Mr. Bains also congratulated Secretary School Education Ms. Anindita Mitra and all the women teachers and staff on the eve of Women’s Day. While citing that Punjab Government has been promoting women empowerment, he said that a large number of schools are being headed by women principals.
Meanwhile, quoting the Iconic leader Nelson Mandela’s famous line, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” the Secretary School Education Ms. Anindita Mitra encouraged the teachers to be a change-maker in shaping a progressive society. She also extended her best wishes to the heads and staff of the award winning schools.
Prominent amongst others Special Secretary School Education Rajesh Dhiman, Punjab Development Commission member Anurag Kundu, Director School Education (Elementary) Paramjit Singh were also present during the event.
