Real lessons needed

Punjab’s government schools, long plagued by infrastructure decay, teacher shortages and poor learning outcomes, are in urgent need of a meaningful turnaround. The recent assignment of AAP leader Manish Sisodia — known for transforming Delhi’s education landscape — to oversee Punjab’s education affairs raised hopes of substantive change. But the early signs are not encouraging. The recent initiative of unveiling school plaques in a PR-heavy manner does little to address the deep-rooted problems. Spending public money on cosmetic refurbishments or nameplates for newly declared “schools of eminence” cannot substitute for genuine improvements in infrastructure or classroom learning. Even the bureaucratic mentorship scheme lacks clarity, strategy and measurable goals. Without a proper vision or roadmap, such efforts risk becoming exercises in political optics.

Punjab’s education system requires reform at the foundational level. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 for Rural India, only 34 per cent of Class III students in rural government schools can read a Class II-level text. In terms of arithmetic, just about 51 per cent can do basic subtraction. These figures paint a worrying picture. Unless these core deficiencies are tackled, any revamp will be superficial at best. Delhi’s transformation wasn’t built on slogans; it relied on sustained budgetary support, rigorous teacher training and community engagement. Punjab must follow suit — investing in basic amenities like toilets, clean drinking water, digital tools and school libraries. Attracting and retaining qualified teachers is equally critical.

The goal must be to improve learning outcomes, not just the look of schools. Publicity blitzes may garner attention, but only well-planned, data-backed interventions can rescue Punjab’s school system from decades of neglect. If Sisodia genuinely wants to replicate Delhi’s model, he must begin by empowering educators, involving local communities and focussing on what matters most — the schoolchildren.

Editorials