PGT Teachers in Schools Would Now be Called Lecturers, Says Himachal Pradesh CM

Dharamshala: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur Friday said that postgraduate teachers (PGT) in schools would now be called lecturers and posts of vice principal would be created in government senior secondary schools across the state.

Addressing the state level education conference on 'Universal, Free and Quality Education for All' at Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University in Palampur of Kangra district, Thakur also said the promotion quota for school lecturers would be increased from 50 to 60 per cent.

"Nomenclature of PGT of the school would be changed into lecturer in the education department," he said.

The CM also announced that the teachers showing poor results would be given one time relaxation and their annual increment would not be withheld.

"The government is focusing on strengthening the educational institutions in the state," he said, adding recruitment of thousands of trained teachers is in pipeline so as to ensure that every institution in the state have adequate staff.

The conference was organised by the Himachal Pradesh School Lecturer's Association (HPSLA).

Thakur said value based education was essential for a strong and vibrant society and in coming times moral education and Yoga would be made the integral part of educational curriculum in the state.

He said the teachers should also come forward to check the menace of drug abuse among the students. "Apart from imparting knowledge to the students, the teachers should also minutely monitor behavioural change in their students, he stressed.

Thakur said the state government has introduced several schemes for making Himachal Pradesh an education hub of the country. He said that 'Medha Protshan Yojna' has been launched to provide financial assistance to meritorious students to prepare for various competitive examinations.

He said 'Atal Adarsh Vidya Kendras' would be opened in the state for imparting quality education to the students.

The chief minister said,"Teaching is a very noble profession ...no nation can progress until it has dedicated and qualified team of teachers. Thus the role and duty of teachers become further more important.”

Thakur said he was particularly proud of the strides the state has made in the field of education.

While nostalgically remembering his school days, Chief Minister said that he had to travel about 18 km daily to attend his classes, but today there were educational institutions at almost every three km in the state.

The chief minister also released a souvenir on 'Universal, Free and Quality Education' on the occasion.

Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said the state has been awarded as the "Best State" among the big states of the country in the 'State of the State Survey' conducted by a reputed weekly of the country.

He said the Himachal Pradesh today have about 24 government and private universities and over 18,000 other educational institutions and now need of the hour is the qualitative improvement in the field of education.

Director Higher Education Dr Amarjeet Kumar Sharma assured the chief minister that the teachers of the state would ensure that Himachal Pradesh emerges as an education hub of the country.