Punjab government will ensure availability of adequate funds to improve standards of school education: School education minister

Chandigarh: Punjab school education minister Mr. Vijay Inder Singla, on Thursday, said that apart from converting government schools into smart schools, the state government has now decided to provide better infrastructure facilities. The cabinet minister informed that the education department has released a grant of Rs. 11.97 crore to provide additional facilities in the smart classrooms of 16,359 government primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools across the state.

Mr. Vijay Inder Singla said that projectors and LED screens have already been provided for the smart classrooms and now, a grant of Rs. 3,000 for each smart classroom have been sanctioned. He added that primary and middle schools will be given Rs. 6,000 each for two classrooms, high schools to get Rs. 9,000 each for three classrooms and senior secondary schools will be given Rs. 15,000 each for five classrooms.

Mr. Singla said that the grant will be used for paint works, BALA work, doormats, curtains, display boards, syllabus handlers, Marker-duster handlers, protection boxes for keyboard and mouse of projectors, pointers, laser lights, duster cloths and purchase of dustbins etc. He added that the grant and required instructions have already been released to all district education officers as they will ensure the proper utilization of these grants.

The education department, in the directions, has directed the district education officers to ensure proper paint work on doors and windows of smart classrooms and protection of projectors from dirt and security boxes for keyboards and remotes. The department has also directed the smart school mentors and district mentors to prepare the weekly report of smart classrooms as the officials will be reviewing the development works of these schools through video conferencing.