SPEECH OF HON'BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF INAUGURATION OF GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL, DHANAS ON 17.11.2021

Sh Dharampal, Adviser, Smt Kirron Kher, MP, who has joined us virtually, Officers from the Chandigarh Administration, other dignitaries and the august gathering.

My greetings to the entire education fraternity and the teaching faculty present here on the occasion of inauguration of Govt Primary School, Dhanas. I feel privileged to be among those who have always played a pivotal role in shaping the future of India.

India stands tall in the global arena of education undoubtedly because the teachers of our nation chiselled and churned out smart minds with the best blend of Indian intellect, value system, combined with the best practices of the West. In the fast changing world of today where ideas, values, concepts are replacing the old ones, the importance of quality education has increased many fold. I believe that more than ever, today we need inspired, value oriented, mission driven and self motivated teachers who can be a facilitators in letting the child discover his inherent strengths.

It is heart warming to mention the achievements of the Department of School Education of Chandigarh. In the past seven years, on the infrastructure front, the construction of fourteen ultra modern new schools has been completed which will help the Department in optimising the student classroom ratio in the peripheral areas. Similarly, addition of eight state-of-art sports complexes has also equipped the Department to attain the aim of holistic and overall growth of the students.

UT Chandigarh proudly secured the top slot out of all States and UTs, in the PGI i.e Performance Grading Index in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Not only this, UT Chandigarh secured second place among all States and UTs in 2019-2020.Chandigarh also secured the First position amongst all UTs in the National Achievement Survey conducted by NCERT in 2017 in all subjects for Classes 3rd, 5th and 8th.

UT Chandigarh is the only geographical territory amongst all States and UTs selected by the Govt of India to participate in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022. The results of class X and XII have improved remarkably in the past academic year. The result of Class XII for the previous academic session was as high as 99% and that of Class X was 97%.

The Department has also implemented the provisions of RTE Act 2009 regarding admission of EWS and Disadvantaged group students. In private recognised schools in the current academic year, 630 students were admitted in private schools. As per the provisions of the RTE Act, these students are provided free education by private schools and per child expenditure is reimbursed by Chandigarh Administration.

Such accomplishments speak volumes of the hard work and dedication of Officials of the Education Department, the Principals and the teachers. It is sure that with such a grand team working in dedication with the needs of the hour, the magnitude of the achievements would escalate in the times to come.

In educating today's youth, we cannot afford to lose site of the fact that we must equip our youth to handle the problems of the current generation, their society and their world. It is obvious that yesterday's solutions to today's problems would not suffice. The youth of today need to be readied for a global stage which includes a generation of young people who are deep thinkers, efficient managers, inquisitive inquirers and finally articulate and confident enough to take the world into their stride.

The opening of this primary school holds a prominence in the context of New Education Policy 2020. At this juncture, it is also necessary to have clarity and consensus on the objectives of foundational literacy. Further, it is important to recognise literacy as a means to understand and express thoughts. Literacy development is a continuous process, and is an important aspect of children?s development. To bring this change on a massive scale in a country like India, we need to not only provide appropriate inputs to teachers, but also to create awareness in the community at large. I am truly hopeful that this primary school will be a base to cater to the needs of the preschoolers.

We all are aware of the fact that the entire working scenario has undergone a sea change in the past nearly two years because of the closure of schools. Despite all the hiccups the schools of UT Chandigarh have left no stone unturned in performing in the toughest and most difficult circumstances. The schools were opened in a phased manner in the past six months and were open for all the classes from 18thOctober 2021 only. We are striving hard to cover the learning losses, if any.

My greetings once again to one and all for the opening of this school. I call upon all the teachers to stay firm on a teacher?s journey of selfless duty and ethical commitment to the teaching profession. I truly hope that their success stories continue in the times to come. Make an indelible difference in the life of a child and let each child?s dream begin with a teacher.

My best wishes to all the children of the school and their teachers in their journey together in this temple of learning.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.