Shimla: In a landmark shift, Himachal Pradesh government has finalised the plan to get CBSE affiliation for 200 government schools as a step to transform the education sector for the holistic development of students and prepare them for future competitions and challenges.
Also from the upcoming session, the government is mulling contextualizing NCERT textbooks for classes 6 to 12 with local Himachal references to help children develop a sense of pride and belonging.
The school books would include information regarding ancient temples, monasteries, forts, heritage sites, and traditional architecture; dialects; folk arts; handicrafts; fairs; festivals, and historic movements of the state. Chapters dedicated to freedom fighters like General Zorawar Singh, Wazir Ram Singh Pathania, and Dr. Y.S. Parmar, and martyrs such as Captain Vikram Batra, Major Somnath Sharma, and Captain Saurabh Kalia would also be included for studies in the school textbooks.
The state government is implementing new schemes with the resolve to ensure modern and quality education for every child in Himachal and is fully committed to their successful implementation.
A budget provision of Rs. 9,849 crore has been made for the education sector, which reflects the government’s commitment towards quality education across the state. The government has already introduced English-medium instruction in government schools starting from the first grade. The children studying in these classes will be able to get proficiency in both English and Hindi, with confidence and skills. The education system has witnessed a remarkable improvement in the education sector, owing to such tough but essential decisions, and HP has emerged as a leading state in terms of student-teacher ratio.
Further, the government is establishing Rajiv Gandhi Government Model Day-Boarding Schools in every assembly constituency to make modern and quality education accessible to every child. These schools will be equipped with smart classrooms, libraries, sports facilities, and other modern resources to ensure the holistic development of children.