Punjab budget: No new projects for school education as govt focus on ‘transforming the way teaching is done’
"The pivot of all efforts would be to develop critical thinking, problem-solving aptitude, other life skills and most importantly ethics in every student,” Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said.
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Harpal Singh Cheema announced Rs 20 crore to be spent on training and skill upgradation of teachers and school heads from government schools. (Express photo by Kamleshwar Singh) Stating that the focus of the Aam Aadmi Party government “is and would be on transforming the very way teaching is done”, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema Friday announced an outlay of Rs 17,072 crore for school and higher education in the Budget for 2023-24, up 12 per cent from previous year. In the allocation, which makes for 8.66% of state’s Budget of 1,96,462 crore, a major thrust has been laid on the flagship “School of Eminence” project for which Cheema has announced Rs 200 crore.
“We’ll not just concentrate on building class rooms and procuring black boards and furniture. The focus is and would be on transforming the very way teaching is done. The pivot of all efforts would be to develop critical thinking, problem-solving aptitude, other life skills and most importantly ethics in every student,” Cheema said.
Upkeep of govt schools
Reiterating the proposal to hire “estate managements” for all government senior secondary schools who will take care of administrative works to reduce burden on teachers, Cheema proposed an allocation of Rs 99 crore for “ensuring basic cleanliness and upkeep of schools while teachers shall concentrate only on academics.”
Training, skill upgrade
Cheema announced Rs 20 crore to be spent on training and skill upgradation of teachers and school heads from government schools.
“Up-skilling the teachers is of fundamental importance to make any education system effective and beneficial. The first batch of 36 principals/education officers was trained at the Principals Academy, Singapore in their five day Leadership Development Programme and another batch of 30 principals has also been sent this month. AAP government shall continue giving latest training to government teachers,” said the finance minister.
Schools of Eminence
Announcing an allocation of Rs 200 crore for “Schools of Eminence”, which are being developed by the AAP government with the upgradation of 117 existing government schools for class IX to XII, Cheema said work on pilot basis has already started at four schools in Amritsar. “They are being made operational on Hub and Spoke model, other schools in a given cluster shall be attached to a School of Eminence. These schools would become “Growth Poles” of education. They will have the best infrastructure, offer multiple education streams, trained faculty, sports and extra circular activities, career counseling and many other activities for holistic development of a student under one roof.”
Coaching for employment
Cheema announced two new schemes in higher education — Professional Coaching for Employment and Soft Skill & Communication Training. Under these schemes, coaching on professional lines would be provided to students by establishing dedicated employability coaching centers in government colleges, said Cheema. However, he did not announce fund allocation for both schemes and said “suitable allocation would be provided” in the coming year.
Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
Cheema said that under the phase-2 of RUSA, the state government would set up six centers for enhancing quality and excellence under the aegis of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar at a cost of Rs 70 crore. “GNDU and Punjabi University, Patiala are establishing Entrepreneurship Hubs in partnership with foreign universities that would help in the publication of socially and industrially relevant research projects and patents. An allocation of Rs 116 crore is proposed for this purpose,” said the finance minister.
Technical education
A budget of Rs 615 crore has been allocated for technical education for 2023-24.
Cheema said that “after the gap of 13 years, Government Polytechnic College for Girls, Ropar which was closed since 2009 was re-opened in 2022. The government is also looking into the possibility to run this as a co-education college from FY 2023-24.”
He further announced, “The Institute of Training of Trainers (ITOT) has been established at Lalru at a cost of Rs 10 crore for training of instructors. 28,607 trainees have been admitted in FY 2022-23 in 137 Government Industrial Training Institutes. The Government has signed 236 MoUs with various eminent industries such as Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Company Ltd., Hero Cycles Ltd and many others for providing on job training to these trainees.”
What more for education sector
– Rs 18 cr for scholarships of OBC students and Rs 60 cr for SC students
– Rs 30 cr for Punjab Young Entrepreneur Programme in govt schools for class-11 students
– Installation of rooftop solar panels in govt schools – 100 cr
– Upgradation of infrastructure including boundary walls in govt schools – 324 cr
– Mid-day meal for 16.35 lakh students- 456 cr
– Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (state share)- 1425 cr
– Uniforms to pre-primary kids- 25 cr
– Free books, repair and maintenance of schools- 90 cr
– Rs 68 cr for infrastructure and libraries in govt colleges
– Rs 2 cr for strengthening of Urdu Academy, Malerkotla
– Rs 63 crore for upgradation of existing and construction of new Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
– A budgetary outlay of Rs 990 crore for providing assistance to the various state universities such as Punjabi University, PAU, GADVASU, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur State University of Law, Panjab University and its constituent colleges
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