Ritanjali Hastir, Keekli Reporter, 2nd December, 2014, Shimla
A new multi-storey block of the Elementary Education Department at Lal Pani was inauguration by the honourable Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here today. The block has been constructed with sum of rupees three crore. While speaking on the occasion, hon’ble minister said that the teaching faculty should devote maximum time for the students nearing examinations instead of wasting their time in the corridors of the state secretariat, managing their transfers. He said that it had been observed that most of the teachers were usually busy whole year around in managing transfers thereby keeping students in midstream. The government was alive to the problems of the teachers and was endeavoring to solve them at the earliest but during the time when examinations were nearing, they should concentrate on studies only. “We are there to accommodate them but the welfare of the children is above all” he stressed.
The Chief Minister said primary education was more important as the child gets an appropriate pedestal from here onwards. If the base was strong, the future of a child becomes shining, while adding that no child should be left of basic education and for the very reason the state government was opening schools in far flung and remote areas of the sate even if the appropriate strength of students was less.
“An educated girl child can be an educated and disciplined mother” he said adding that the child is given birth by a mother but his fortune, his future and his personality is shaped by the teachers. What matters most was to make a child well educated as it always had been a dream of every parent and for that the Congress government is committed to make realize this dream of every parent in the state, he said.
“It is my lifetime experience that wherever we have opened schools in remote areas of the state, the girl child has benefited the most” he said as the boys can still manage to study at far off distances but it was the girls who used to suffer due to lack of schools. The Chief Minister said that it has been observed that there were more girls studying in schools opened in far off corners of the state and the aim of the government was to give them an opportunity to study and excel in life and contribute in building a strong society.
He said that social transformation was being witnessed in the state as women were coming alive to their rights and were now more aware and confident which was appreciable as only that state prospers where the women were well educated and equivalent to their male counterparts.
The Chief Minister said rapid strides had been made in the education sector since Independence and today our state ranks second only after Kerela in literacy. Today as many as 6.15 lakhs students have been enrolled in primary schools across the State.
The Chief Minister stressed upon construction of toilets in every educational institution of the state. He said that whether there were new upcoming school buildings or there stands existing structure both higher and elementary education departments should ensure toilets in every school.
While speaking on the o
ccasion Director Higher Education Shashi Bhushan Shekhri, said that it is a great honour and pleasure that under the able guidance of our CM, Himachal is developing and such initiative are taken for the development of students.
Earlier, Director Elementary Education, Ashok Sharma welcomed and honoured the Chief Minister amongst other dignitaries present on the occasion. He detailed about the various activities of the department and also raised a demand of filling up 2001 posts in elementary education department besides 47 posts of senior assistants and 125 posts of clerks in the directorate itself to ensure smooth functioning.
Students of Potmore School presented a cultural program and while sharing their excitement to perform they all said that it is a great honor to perform in front of the Chief Minister and other high ranked offices. They feel blessed to have got an opportunity to be part of occasion.