SAS Nagar (Mohali), September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said his government’s education reforms had brought a major transformation in the state’s government school system and reiterated his vision of making Punjab a global education hub.
Addressing the state-level Teachers’ Day function in Mohali, Mann said Punjab, which he claimed was ranked 27th in education in 2021, had now reached the No. 1 position in primary education. He credited trained teachers, modern school infrastructure, international exposure for educators, digital connectivity, vocational education and greater parental participation for the change.
Mann paid tribute to former President, philosopher and scholar Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary and honoured teachers for their contribution to Punjab’s education sector.
At the Teachers’ Honour Ceremony, 50 teachers comprising 21 primary and 29 secondary teachers received State Awards. Another 10 teachers—four primary and six secondary—received Young Teacher Awards. Four teachers were given Special Teacher Awards, six received Administrative Awards, and five awards went to teachers nominated by the Education Minister.
Congratulating the awardees, Mann said teachers’ dedication was laying the foundation for Punjab’s future and described education as a key pillar of the state’s socio-economic transformation.
Focus on Teacher Training and Schools of Eminence
Mann said 234 principals and education officers were trained in Singapore, 152 headmasters at IIM Ahmedabad and 144 primary teachers at the University of Turku in Finland.
He said the international training had helped change the functioning of government schools and was intended to prepare teachers and students to compete at the global level.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the development of 118 Schools of Eminence, saying ₹88.67 crore had been spent on their modernisation. Another ₹211.58 crore, he said, had been spent on school safety and basic infrastructure.
To improve cleanliness and security, the government has deployed 1,917 campus managers, 1,316 security guards, 7,113 sanitation workers and 1,785 chowkidars, Mann said.
He added that 16,348 government schools had been provided Wi-Fi connectivity, while ₹488.67 crore was being spent on classrooms, laboratories, libraries and toilets.
Business Blasters, Vocational Education
Mann said the government was also focusing on entrepreneurship and practical skills through the Business Blasters programme.
Under the initiative, ₹10.32 crore in seed money has been provided to 1.83 lakh students to develop their business ideas, he said, adding that the objective was to turn young people into job creators rather than job seekers.
He said vocational education covering more than 20 trades was being offered in 1,490 senior secondary schools across Punjab.
The government has also allocated more than ₹47 crore for free uniforms, while books are being supplied to schools on time. Transport facilities have been introduced for students from Classes 6 to 12, while around 16 lakh government school students are receiving nutritious food under the nutrition scheme, Mann said.
PTMs Increase Parent Participation
Mann said the introduction of regular Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) had strengthened the involvement of parents in their children’s education.
He said more than 24 lakh parents attended the latest PTM, describing the participation as an encouraging sign of greater community engagement with government schools.
The Chief Minister also said 881 students qualified for JEE and NEET for the first time, calling it a significant achievement for the government school system.
“I am the son of a teacher and I fully understand the difficulties faced by teachers,” Mann said, reiterating that there was no shortage of funds for improving schools and the quality of education.
Mann said his government would continue to strengthen school infrastructure, expand teacher training and create better opportunities for students. He said the long-term objective was to build an educated, skilled and prosperous “Rangla Punjab”.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains welcomed the dignitaries and highlighted the significance of the state-level Teachers’ Day programme. MLA Kulwant Singh, Secretary Education Sonali Giri and other dignitaries were also present.
FOLLOW NOW
