Chandigarh: Punjab education minister Aruna Chaudhary on Tuesday launched an initiative to provide pre-primary education at all Punjab government schools in the state. Children of ages 3 to 6 can now attend nursery and kindergarten classes at government primary schools free of cost.
“Deliberations are going on to form a separate cadre for the border areas in order to fulfill shortfall of teachers in those regions,” Chaudhary said during the launch, adding that this will aid in strengthening physical, intellectual and creative faculties of children. It would also aid young students to be more conversant in school environments.
The schooling will be provided in three groups— nursery classes for children aged 3 to 4, lower kindergarten for children aged 4 to 5 and upper kindergarten for children aged 5 to 6.
About 1,50,000 students have sought admissions at various schools in the state and this process will carry on till the end of November. In order to ensure that every teacher has a shot at promotion, the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) will meet four times annually.
In order to keep the project going, anganwadi workers have been assured that they would have secure jobs and that their services will be used to the highest extent, Chaudhary said. Punjab education secretary Krishan Kumar encourages all teachers in the state to put in more vigour, zeal and zest to make sure that the project is a success.
— PTI
Free pre-primary education launched in all Punjab government schools
