The Sukhu government of Himachal Pradesh is going to take another big step towards strengthening the facilities and access to education of school students. Students living in hilly and remote areas, who have to travel long distances to reach school, can now be free from the worry of travel expenses. The government is preparing to give traveling allowance to such students, for which the Education Department has been instructed to prepare a new transport policy. The objective of this policy is to ensure that distance or lack of transportation does not hinder the education of any child.
This decision was taken in the departmental review meeting held under the chairmanship of Education Minister Rohit Thakur. In the meeting, low enrollment in government schools, merger of schools, snow bus card system and changes in rules regarding transport facilities were discussed in detail. The Education Minister clarified that in areas where government bus service is not available, students will be given allowance by the government to travel in private buses. This proposal will be finalized and placed before the cabinet.
The Education Minister said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, the state government is continuously making reforms to improve the level of education. In this direction, special emphasis is being laid on expanding CBSE education in the state. There are plans to start 100 new Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated schools from the next academic session, out of which 94 schools have already got affiliation.
Teachers will get training
It was also decided in the meeting that teachers of major subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics would be given special training for teaching in English medium. Along with this, a separate sub-cadre of teachers is being prepared for CBSE schools, so that there is no reduction in the educational quality. The SOP related to the appointment of teachers will also be presented in the cabinet soon.
The Limited Direct Recruitment (LDR) examination for 2025-26 was reviewed in the meeting. Under this, 1,427 SMC teachers will be appointed as job trainees. The examination is proposed in February. Apart from this, the recruitment process of 389 assistant professors has started and instructions have been given to complete other pending recruitments also soon. The Education Minister stressed on completing the recruitment processes in a transparent and time bound manner.
Strictness on weak performing teachers
The Government has decided to merge schools with zero enrollment and rationalize deployment of teachers as per actual requirement. The Education Minister made it clear that strict action will be taken against poorly performing schools and teachers, so that the education system can be improved.
It was informed in the meeting that new Kendriya Vidyalayas will be established in Kotkhai and Paonta Sahib, which have been approved by the Central Government. The Education Minister gave instructions to complete the related formalities soon. The government believes that the new transport policy, travel allowance and comprehensive educational reforms will not only make it easier for students to reach school, but will also strengthen the education system of Himachal Pradesh.