Badal's special schools to open from coming session

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday directed the education department to complete by July the civil works of six special schools for meritorious students from poor families.

Parkash Singh Badal gave the instructions during the first meeting of the society constituted for opening the special schools. "The special schools will open from the coming session," said Badal. Along with quality education, the children will also get free-of-cost hostel facility.

Badal also approved to make a search committee led by the Punjab chief secretary for selecting a project director, besides six principals, for the special schools. He also decided to complete the process of nominating five experts for guiding the special schools by vital inputs. Punjab Education Development Board will work out sources for annual funding to the tune of Rs 17.36 crore to pay the members of the staff and maintain the hostel infrastructure.

A separate recruitment board will select members of the staff. Badal directed the deputy commissioners of Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bathinda, SAS Naar and Amritsar, who attended the meeting, to monitor the construction work to avoid undue delay.

After the construction is over, the special schools will get furniture and other equipment. The principal secretary for education is assigned to begin selecting and purchasing furniture.

The senior officers of the school education department have to visit the country's prestigious educational institutions to study their models of functioning to replicate in the state. These schools will give free quality education and hostel facilities to all students in the state's government schools who have poor economic background but brilliant scores (80% or above) in the Class-10 examinations.

Education minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, chief secretary Rakesh Singh, and CM's technical adviser lieutenant general BS Dhaliwal (retd) were present.