Mohali : Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday flagged off the first batch of 50 headmasters for a five-day training to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.
While delegations of school principals are returning after training in Singapore, this batch is on its way to Ahmedabad to improve their expertise, an official release quoted Mann as saying. The motive is to ensure that students of state government schools get quality education so that they can compete with their convent-educated peers, said Mann.
As good coaches produce excellent players, similarly an updated teacher will help in grooming students for the future, he said.
The CM said emphasis will be laid on reviving the posts of physical training (PT) and agriculture education teachers in government schools. Earlier, PT teachers used to play a major role in maintaining discipline, while agriculture teachers would teach students about crops sciences, but due to the apathy of the successive governments, both these teaching posts were lying redundant. “Now, we are planning to revive these posts to provide a holistic educational environment for students,” said Mann.
There is no dearth of funds with the state government for the education sector and every effort will be made to ensure that the students get quality education, he said, adding that due to the efforts of the state government, the day is not far when Punjab will emerge as a hub of quality education.
He said the services of 12,710 teachers have been regularised with an aim to secure the future of teachers. They can transform the destiny of students only if their future is protected, the CM added.
{{/usCountry}}He said the services of 12,710 teachers have been regularised with an aim to secure the future of teachers. They can transform the destiny of students only if their future is protected, the CM added.
{{/usCountry}}He said the cabinet also gave nod to the new Sports Policy-2023 focusing on jobs, training, incentives and robust infrastructure for players from the village level. He said that sports culture will be reintroduced in government schools by recruiting the physical education teachers so that students can excel in sports.
“There is no point announcing ₹50 lakh cash prize after a sportsperson wins a medal, whereas their practicing days were spent in penury. Instead, the approach should be to incentivise players at an early stage while they are preparing for an event so that they can focus on sports rather than arranging funds for their diet, equipment and other things,” said Mann.
‘Flood victims will be compensated’
Expressing concern over the damage caused due to floods in the state, the CM said the state government will compensate people for the loss of every single penny. Mann said that he had already ordered a special girdawari to ascertain the loss of crops, houses, cattle and others due to heavy rainfall in the state. He said that the officers have been asked to complete the girdawari by August 15 to fully compensate the people for their loss.
Bats for registration of drones
The CM said registration of drones should be made compulsory to check smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border, stressing that there were several incidents when drones went to Pakistan from border districts of the state and returned with consignments.
Like the registration of vehicles, drone registration should also be made mandatory to deal with the menace of drug smuggling, he said.
Takes swipe at Manpreet
On Manpreet Singh Badal, who recently criticised the CM, Mann reminded the BJP leader that acting was his profession which had made him popular amongst the masses.
Recently, Manpreet had taken a swipe at Mann, saying doing drama was his profession and still it is, and people of Punjab were watching his dramas. The CM said when the former finance minister was sent to “oblivion” by people for his “opportunistic” stances, he is finding faults in him.
Mann said he is well aware of the tantrums of the former minister to drive his own vehicle and pay toll tax whereas in reality he did nothing for the wellbeing of the people. “These shameless leaders mercilessly plundered the wealth of the state due to which people ousted them from power,” said Mann.