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Indian Express
27-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Armed with YouTube, Punjab teachers take Telugu challenge head-on, classes begin under Bharatiya Bhasha camp
Okati (one), rendu (two), moodu (three), naalugu (four), aidu (five), aaru (six), edu (seven) — these numbers reverberated in the classrooms of Punjab government schools as the students started learning the basics of Telugu language on Monday, as part of the week-long 'Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp 2025', following a direction issued by the Union Ministry of Education. Armed with YouTube videos and study material provided by the Punjab Education Department, the teachers of classes 6 to 10 took the challenge to teach a new language to the children head on, even though they had to first learn the basics of Telugu for the first time in their lives. With the 'never say die spirit' Punjabis are known for, the Telugu classes commenced at most of the schools on Monday. While it all may read too perfect, ground realities made it a herculean task for teachers in Punjab. While students were visibly excited to learn a new language, teachers say a training session would have helped them prepare better. From script to pronunciation, teachers 'felt little nervous' that they might end up teaching students something wrong, unintentionally. However, teachers say, 'YouTube videos were a great help'. At several schools, teachers even wrote Telugu alphabets and numbers in Punjabi, to make students understand better. Speaking to The Indian Express, a Punjabi teacher from Bathinda district said: 'Students were curious to learn the new language, but first, we had to learn from scratch. We took help from the material provided by the Department, and YouTube videos. We segregated students in groups, as per the Centre's order, and began the classes with lessons on alphabets and numbers. Had there been a training session for us, by Telugu experts, it would have been easier. I am sure Andhra Pradesh teachers must have also felt the same while teaching Punjabi.' At most schools, English, Hindi, and Punjabi teachers were assigned the task to teach Telugu, with a few seeing Mathematics teachers doing the job. An English teacher from Mohali said: 'The challenges are obvious as teachers also do not know the language. They are using videos, and making students learn Telugu. That's the best they can do… There are Samarth classes during the first four periods, and now, Telugu has been added. Studies would suffer… Thank God, this is only for seven days.' Highlighting the ground realities, an English teacher from Ludhiana said though he appreciates the initiative, staff shortage was a challenge in the school. 'It is a good initiative, but we needed a training session — before such an abrupt order was issued. We have a severe staff shortage in the school. I'm a lecturer, but have to teach students of classes 9 and 10. Same goes for Punjabi and Economics teachers, who have to teach upper primary classes too… We have started Telugu language classes today (Monday), but it's not easy. Also, how can we teach Kuchipudi, a classical dance-drama originating from Andhra Pradesh, to students? We don't know it ourselves,' he said, laughing. Another English teacher from Jalandhar, taking Telugu classes on Monday, said the 'idea was good in books', but ground realities in Punjab schools were not. 'Students do not even know their mother tongue Punjabi well, they are still learning. Without proper training, how can even teachers teach Telugu? Also, there's a sea of difference in the pronunciation in northern and southern regions… But yes, a positive outcome could be that Punjabi children would learn to be more tolerant. This exercise will bring awareness about different languages among them.' A Mathematics teacher from Sangrur, who also had to take Telugu classes on Day 1 of the camp, said: 'Students were excited as well as about learning a new language. We took help of YouTube — it was basically self-learning, and then teaching the language. Our Hindi teacher also helped us… A training session would have been helpful, but teachers know how to manage such last-minute activities.' Mentioning it was a refreshing experience, an English teacher from Mansa said: 'We had assumed students might not be interested in learning Telugu. But when we showed them the alphabets and numbers on a projector, they started asking questions, showing keen interest in the language. We also showed them YouTube videos. On Monday, they completed numbers 1-10, and have been assigned the homework of learning 11-20, with the help of the Internet. We also showed them historical structures of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana… Though we did not get any training, YouTube, with an audio-visual effect, has been an excellent source for us to learn. On Tuesday, we will teach them basic conversations and greetings in Telugu.' Under the Central government's 'Bharatiya Bhasha Camp', different states from the North and the South have been paired to make students learn the basics of an additional language from other states, besides those in their school curriculum. Under the exchange programme, students in Punjab — which has been paired with Andhra Pradesh — are learning Telugu, and their counterparts Punjabi. Students will also be taught about historical monuments, food, culture, and dance among others to promote 'unity in diversity' under the Union government's 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' campaign. Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Punjab. Her interest lies in exploring both news and feature stories, with an effort to reflect human interest at the heart of each piece. She writes on gender issues, education, politics, Sikh diaspora, heritage, the Partition among other subjects. She has also extensively covered issues of minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She also explores the legacy of India's partition and distinct stories from both West and East Punjab. She is a gold medalist from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, the most revered government institute for media studies in India, from where she pursued English Journalism (Print). Her research work on 'Role of micro-blogging platform Twitter in content generation in newspapers' had won accolades at IIMC. She had started her career in print journalism with Hindustan Times before switching to The Indian Express in 2012. Her investigative report in 2019 on gender disparity while treating women drug addicts in Punjab won her the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2020. She won another Laadli for her ground report on the struggle of two girls who ride a boat to reach their school in the border village of Punjab. ... Read More
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Punjab Sikhya Kranti: Govt clears first tranche of Rs 12.25 cr to reimburse schools for plaques, ribbon-cutting events
The Punjab Education Department has approved the first tranche of Rs 12.25 crore that the state government schools have been spending on ribbon cutting ceremonies, making arrangements to welcome ministers or MLAs or VIPs, and installing inauguration plaques since April 7 this year, under the AAP's school education glitz campaign 'Punjab Sikhya Kranti'. The 54-day long drive, from April 7 to May 31, was mired in controversies from Day 1 as the Punjab government ordered school teachers to get new plaques installed, and ribbon-cutting ceremonies attended by local MLAs or ministers for even minor projects — from repaired toilets and boundary walls to classrooms and laboratories. Multiple plaques or stones were installed in a school, prompting the opposition parties to dub 'Punjab Sikhya Kranti' as 'Udghatan and Stone Kranti'. The Indian Express was the first to report how the Punjab government planned to install plaques for at least 25,000 big or small works, with several schools even installing five to six for minor works, and the inauguration drive alone was estimated at nearly Rs 20 crore. The latest letter by School Education (Elementary) Director Harkirat Kaur, addressed to Punjab district education officers (DEOs), the first tranche of Rs 12.25 crore has been approved for Sikhya Kranti programmes held in schools since April 7. It says that Rs 6.20 crore of the total amount was being allotted to primary schools, and Rs 5.71 crore for middle/high and senior secondary schools, where the inaugurations were held. Notably, the amount spent by schools on ribbon-cutting ceremonies and welcoming politicians will be counted under the head of 'conferences, workshops, seminars, and tours', it read. According to the district-wise allocation, the maximum amounts — Rs 59.80 lakh for primary schools, and Rs 55.80 lakh for middle/high or senior secondary schools — have been allocated to Amritsar district, indicating that the maximum number of inaugurations took place there. In Ludhiana, Rs 30.20 lakh have been allocated for primary schools, and Rs 23.55 lakh for middle/high and secondary schools. In Jalandhar, Rs 40.15 lakh have been sanctioned for primary schools and Rs 41.20 lakh for higher schools. The initial order — ahead of the drive's commencement — had mentioned that schools will be given Rs 5,000 for each granite plaque and for inauguration ceremony arrangements such as sound system, chairs, tent, and snacks, among others, with each school paying category wise — Rs 5,000 (primary/middle schools), Rs 10,000 (high schools), and Rs 20,000 (senior secondary schools). With over 25,000 works, planned to be inaugurated in over 12,000 schools, the total budget of the drive was estimated at nearly Rs 20 crore. However, since the government did not release funds in advance, teachers had paid from their pockets to make arrangements and install the plaques. Each plaque had to carry the name of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. Punjab Education Secretary Anindita Mitra said: 'This is the first instalment. We shall be providing a budget for all inaugurations as per the amounts fixed in the letter initially. The remaining amount will also be issued in a few days.' The Punjab Sikhya Kranti drive was launched by the AAP government to inaugurate at least 25,000 big/small development works in over 12,000 Punjab government schools, with initial orders to install separate plaques for even minor repair works. However, as soon as the drive commenced on April 7 as well as the photos of plaques crediting Mann and Bains for repaired toilets or boundary walls went viral, inviting flak, another fresh order was issued that 'teachers should not get plaques installed for toilets'. The government had also faced backlash from the opposition parties including Congress, BJP, and SAD who dubbed it as 'Udghatan and Ribbon-Cutting Kranti'. From Barnala to Pathankot, the plaques installed for repaired toilets went viral. Then, a plaque was installed covering the national anthem painted on a wall in a school in Amritsar district. In Ludhiana, MLA Madan Lal Bagga inaugurated repaired toilets where curtains were installed to hide incomplete works, while in Bathinda district's Maur, villagers did not allow the local MLA to inaugurate a boundary wall, alleging it was 'constructed four years ago'. Justifying the installation of plaques, Bains had said: 'Why should we not put them? They are the symbols of failures of the previous governments. They are not just name plates or plaques, they are a reminder of the failure of Congress and Akali-BJP governments in Punjab.' Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Punjab. Her interest lies in exploring both news and feature stories, with an effort to reflect human interest at the heart of each piece. She writes on gender issues, education, politics, Sikh diaspora, heritage, the Partition among other subjects. She has also extensively covered issues of minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She also explores the legacy of India's partition and distinct stories from both West and East Punjab. She is a gold medalist from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, the most revered government institute for media studies in India, from where she pursued English Journalism (Print). Her research work on 'Role of micro-blogging platform Twitter in content generation in newspapers' had won accolades at IIMC. She had started her career in print journalism with Hindustan Times before switching to The Indian Express in 2012. Her investigative report in 2019 on gender disparity while treating women drug addicts in Punjab won her the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2020. She won another Laadli for her ground report on the struggle of two girls who ride a boat to reach their school in the border village of Punjab. ... Read More
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Teachers' induction greenlighted
The Punjab Education Department has approved the recruitment of 26,898 teachers across 1,961 upgraded schools as part of the Annual Development Programme. These include schools upgraded under the afternoon second shift initiative and newly established boys' and girls' schools. According to an official circular, new teaching positions have been formally created. In the first phase, existing government school teachers will be appointed to these positions. The circular notes the establishment of 47 new primary schools, one middle school, and five high schools in rural areas. These will receive 423, 19, and 135 teaching positions, respectively. For 1,181 schools upgraded from middle to high under the second shift program, 14,172 teaching posts have been approved. Under the department's own development programme, 375 schools were upgraded from primary to middle level with 5,250 new teaching positions; 245 schools were upgraded from middle to high, receiving 2,940 posts; and 107 high schools were upgraded to higher secondary level, for which 3,959 new teaching positions have been sanctioned. Recruitment processes for these posts have already commenced.
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Budget hike to address school deficiencies
The Punjab Education Department has proposed a budget of Rs90 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26 to address missing facilities in 43,000 public schools across the province. This marks a significant increase from the Rs20b allocated annually over the past five years — a hike of Rs70b this year alone. Detailed proposals have been formally submitted to the provincial finance ministry. The requested budget is separate from the salaries of teachers and staff. Sources in the Education Department reveal that 40% of public schools lack sufficient classrooms, 37% of schools are without boundary walls and electricity in rural areas, 65% of rural schools do not have science or computer labs, 27% of schools are deprived of these essential labs even in urban areas, while 45% of all schools lack adequate toilets, fans, and access to drinking water. There is a shortage of security guards, watchmen, and sanitation staff. In rural areas, 45%, and in urban areas, 20% of schools, lack proper classrooms. Most schools don't have playgrounds, halls, or auditoriums, and there is an acute shortage of furniture. There are 580 dilapidated school buildings with leaking roofs during rain, and 2,770 rundown school facilities, including classrooms, washrooms, staff rooms, and boundary walls, all of which need to be repaired or upgraded. Additionally, funding is required for the implementation of a computerised attendance system in public schools starting next fiscal year. The education department also faces a consistent shortfall in funds for utility bills. Sources further say the Education Department believes that if these funds are provided, all deficiencies and missing facilities in public schools could be permanently addressed. This year, cost savings are also expected from the privatisation of 13,000 schools. Teacher' bodies have welcomed the department's initiative. Rana Liaqat, the central secretary general of the Punjab Teachers Union, termed the ministry's decision timely and positively, saying resolving these long-standing infrastructure issues will not only improve the educational environment but also lead to increased enrollment in public schools besides a positive impact on the teaching and learning process.
Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Heatwave forces early summer break
In a welcome relief for students enduring the scorching heat as climate change increasingly disrupts daily life, the Punjab Education Department has announced summer vacations in schools amid rising temperatures. The department decided to start the holidays earlier in light of the escalating heat. According to a notification issued, summer vacations across schools in the province will commence from June 1. Secretary School Education Punjab Khalid Nazir Wattoo informed the media that if temperatures continue to rise sharply, the schedule could be revised. He clarified that if there was an extraordinary increase in temperatures, vacations could potentially begin a week earlier than currently planned. The decision was made keeping in view the health and safety of parents, students and teachers, as severe heat can adversely affect children's academic activities. It is worth mentioning that climate change has become an undeniable reality for Pakistan, directly threatening millions of lives. Heatwaves, intensified by shifting climate patterns, are growing more frequent, prolonged and severe, hitting hardest in communities with limited means to adapt. In 2022, Pakistan was ranked the most vulnerable country to climate change, ahead of Belize and Italy, according to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 report released last month by the European think-tank Germanwatch. Experts have warned that the intensity of heatwaves is increasing year by year, with far-reaching impacts on education, health and the economy.
