Punjab Education Department signed a training agreement with University of Turku, Finland last month
CHANDIGARH: Punjab's Education Minister Harjot Bains stated that sending 72 teachers from government schools to Finland for training reflects significant improvements in Punjab's education system over the past two and a half years. People are now discussing the education revolution in Punjab in every village and city.
He mentioned that before 2022, more than 8, 000 government schools lacked boundary walls. We constructed boundary walls covering about 1, 400 kilometers in all those schools. Additionally, more than 10, 000 new classrooms were built, and desks were provided for students. Previously, around 100, 000 children had to sit on the ground to study due to a lack of furniture, we have resolved that issue. Furthermore, 1, 400 schools did not have bathrooms for girls, which we also constructed.
He added that significant work is ongoing in all government schools, alongside the Schools of Eminence. Wi-Fi has been installed in 18, 000 schools, and security guards and campus managers have been hired. Before this government, not a single rupee was allocated for cleanliness in government schools. Now, monthly allocations range from 3, 000 to 50, 000 rupees.
Despite all these efforts, the most crucial factor for good education is training of teachers. We have arranged training for all principals of Schools of Eminence and other schools in Singapore. So far, 202 principals have been sent to Singapore, and 152 headmasters have been trained in Ahmedabad. Now, 72 teachers are being sent to Finland for training.
Last month, the Punjab Education Department signed an agreement with Turku University in Finland for training. The MoU was signed in Delhi in the presence of the Finnish Ambassador. The training will last three weeks, and the next batch will be sent in February-March 2025.
Under this MoU, the Punjab government can send its teachers to Finland at any time, or Finnish teachers can come to Punjab. The minister mentioned that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also talk to the teachers tomorrow before they depart for Finland.
He stated that the selection process for teachers going for training considered their experience and how many years they have left in service to ensure they can teach children for at least 10-15 years after training. Their past records were also reviewed.
Additionally, parents who have their children studying in government schools needed to provide recommendations for these teachers. Feedback was collected from around 6, 000 parents through phone calls. The education minister said that the training of teachers in Finland will be a milestone for Punjab's primary education system.