From Singapore exposure to Cambridge and UNESCO partnerships, Himachal’s school education reforms gain momentum
Shimla:
Principals of PM SHRI schools and State Coordinators of Samagra Shiksha on Monday felicitated State Project Director Rajesh Sharma at the Directorate of Samagra Shiksha for his leadership in driving education reforms and initiatives across Himachal Pradesh.
The principals appreciated the initiatives undertaken over the past more than three years, saying several steps taken under the guidance of the state government and Sharma’s leadership had brought visible changes to the school education system.
Among those present were PM SHRI School Chaupal principal Hari Sharma, Tutu principal Dr Rashima Rana, Kupvi principal Dinesh Steta, Sunni principal Nihal Thakur, Theog principal Ramswaroop Sharma and Kandaghat principal Ratan Verma, besides other school heads, coordinators and officials of Samagra Shiksha.
Teacher training and global partnerships
The principals highlighted several initiatives aimed at strengthening the professional development of teachers. Government school teachers from Himachal were sent on international educational exposure visits to Singapore, while a partnership was established with the Principals Academy, Singapore, for teacher training.
Under Samagra Shiksha, 33,301 school teachers have been trained in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, with the objective of introducing modern teaching methods and contemporary educational approaches in classrooms.
A partnership with UNESCO under the HP FUTURES programme has also been established to promote 21st-century skills in schools. The programme focuses on competency-based education, value education through games and greening education.
An initiative has also been launched in collaboration with IIM Sirmaur to strengthen the leadership skills of school heads and teachers.
199 schools developed as PM SHRI institutions
The principals said significant progress had also been made in developing PM SHRI schools across the state. A total of 199 schools have been developed as PM SHRI institutions, equipped with modern infrastructure, smart classrooms, science and ICT laboratories and Atal Tinkering Labs.
International exposure for government school students
The principals also described the initiative of sending meritorious students from government schools on educational visits to Singapore and Cambodia as a significant achievement. They said providing international exposure to government school students was a unique initiative.
They also appreciated efforts to secure and effectively utilise funds available to Himachal Pradesh under Samagra Shiksha. The principals said Sharma had played an important role in mobilising additional resources for the education sector and ensuring their timely and effective utilisation.
According to the principals, the impact of these initiatives is also reflected in national education assessments. Himachal Pradesh has moved from 21st position to the top five states in the PARAKH survey, while its ranking in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) improved from 21st to sixth. The state has also emerged among the leading states in the ASER 2024 report, they said.
Rajesh Sharma thanks education stakeholders
Rajesh Sharma expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, officials of the Education Department and Samagra Shiksha, coordinators, school principals and teachers for their support.
He said several important initiatives had been undertaken under Samagra Shiksha in line with the government’s directions and with the collective efforts of education stakeholders.
“The positive results of these initiatives are now visible at the grassroots level. The reforms undertaken to strengthen school education are the result of collective participation,” Sharma said.
He added that the combined efforts had provided a new direction and momentum to Himachal Pradesh’s school education system.
