The results of education surveys in Punjab are reported. This Lecture was delivered in GND University Amritsar in 2008.

1. Role of Quality Education in
Creating Good Citizenship
Hardev Singh Virk
Ex-Professor,GND University, Amritsar
Member, IOSS, Chandigarh

2. Educational Resurgence in
Modern-Day Punjab
• Quality education is the most effective tool to
empower the present younger generation of
Punjab. As a result of the collapse of the Govt-
run Education System, especially the school
education segment, several private players have
jumped into the field. But these unaided,
uncontrolled educational institutes started by
some of the unscrupulous players have started
these ventures not for serving the society in the
educational field, but for earning huge profits.

3. • These institutions, from the schools to the university
level, have mushroomed all over the State as a result
of the businessman-politician nexus which encourages
these institutes to charge exhorbitant fees and appoint
sub-standard faculty and exploit this faculty and make
do with a sub-standard infrastructure. The schools run
by certain religious and social organisations are
mainly run by the Government grant-in-aid to the
extent of 95% which hinders these organisations to
pursue any independent quality-oriented educational
programmes, both in terms of admissions and faculty
appointments. Thus, there are three main players in
education in Punjab:

4. 1) The public sector, govt. schools & colleges,
and state-funded universities;
2) Institutes run by religious, social organisations
and subsidised by the government; and
3) The purely private, unaided institutions.
• Out of these three segments of education, it is
the school segment, more especially the rural
school segment, which cries for urgent
attention of the socially conscious, intellectually
enlightened citizens and socio-religious and
non-governmental organisations.

5. School Surveys and Reports
1.Punjab State Human Rights Organisation
Report (19 Jan. 2006) to CM, Punjab.
2.Education Development, Public Expenditure and
Financing of Secondary Education in Punjab by
Sucha Singh Gill et al. (J. of Educational
Planning & Administration, July 2005).
3.Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council Report on
Primary Education, New Delhi (2001).
4.Institute of Sikh Studies (IOSS), Chandigarh
Report (Oct. 2006). Memorandum submitted to
Punjab Govt. by IOSS President.

6. Some Startling Conclusions
• The data on school results submitted by
PHRO report in 2006, mentioned that the
results of 79 senior secondary schools for
10th and 10+2 classes was 0%, of 219
similar schools was less than 10%, and of
40 schools 10% for the last 10 years.
These results have emerged despite the
mass scale copying in these examinations
in majority of centers in rural Punjab
schools.

7. • The findings of two studies conducted in
Patiala Block III by the Nishkam Sikh
Welfare Council (Regd.), New Delhi, were
also shocking. A carefully selected
sample of 384 students in Class VI from
rural and urban secondary schools
revealed that only 2% boys and 4% girls
passed in Mathematics and only 12%
boys and 14% girls qualified in Punjabi.

8. IOSS Recommendations
Infrastructure
A majority of our Schools in rural areas lack the
following basic necessities:-
(a) Proper accommodation and furniture.
(b) Toilet facilities for both boys and girls.
(c) Well equipped Libraries.
(d) Laboratories for science subjects.
(e) Computer classrooms.
(f) Playing grounds and games equipment.

9. Curriculum and Examinations
The whole system needs to be re-examined with regard to :-
(a) Teaching of science and commerce subjects in rural schools.
(b) Moral education be made a compulsory subject.
(c) Selection of one or more models of school education to
cater to different strata of rural population.
(d) Imparting of Technical and Vocational Education to
enable youth to avail of employment opportunities at par with
urban youth.
(e) Enhance communication skills, improve teaching of English,
Science and Mathematics among students in rural areas.
(f) Achievements/results of schools/teachers should be measured
in terms of their students achievements.

10. Structural Changes
(a) Powers / functions of DPIs, DEOs and BPEOs
should be well defined for better enforcement of
accountability.
(b) Principals, Headmasters and Head Teachers
should have full authority and be totally
accountable for results.
(c)Duration of postings should be adequate. We
recommend a minimum period of 3 years.
(d)Inspection teams and their procedures should
be achievable and well defined. This will enable
them to enforce higher standards of teaching,
discipline and management. They should also
be fully accountable for results.

11. (e) Panchayats / Local bodies should be
involved with defined role only to provide
an independent feedback on attendance,
dedication of teachers, adequacy of
facilities and performance of schools.
(f) PSEB should arrange regular training of
teachers to upgrade and modernize their
teaching ability. Regional centers should
run refresher courses at regular
intervals. These centers should lay
stress on quality teaching and
motivational abilities of teachers.

12. Role of NGOs & NRIs
• NGOs such as the Akal Academy,Baru
Sahib (Himachal Pradesh), Nishkam Sikh
Welfare Council, New Delhi, Tughalwal
Model of School Education at Riarki (Distt
Gurdaspur) and various NRIs have done
excellent work to improve education
facilities in rural areas of Punjab. Our
Government needs to dovetail their efforts
into a coordinated rural education plan.

13. Teaching of Science in Punjab
Schools: A Critical Survey(1975)

14. Role of Medium of Instruction

15. Conclusions of My Survey
• At High School level, 95% students study
Science in Punjabi medium but in XI class
they shift to English medium resulting in
mass failures.
• Laboratory facility is almost non-existent in
most of the rural schools. Even in urban
schools, Lab work is ignored as all
Competitive Tests are conducted on the
basis of Theory only.

16. • Most of the Science Teachers are B.Sc. who
got training in English medium. It is an enigma
when they start teaching in Punjabi medium.
• Vernacular text books in Science add to the
confusion as there is no standard technical
glossary available in Indian languages.
• The English medium model and public schools
have an advantage over government schools
so far as teaching of science is concerned. The
survey reveals that they cater largely to the
students of “nouveau riche”. Hence their very
existence is contradictory to the declared aims
of education in a democratic society.

17. Puran Singh’s Comments (1901)
• “In the cities of Punjab it seemed all life
had turned into brick and mortar. The
Hindu system of caste had made even the
plan of building new houses and new
cities miserable. I almost cried amongst
these heaps of dead bricks. Nature is
crowded out. Sunlight is shutout. There is
no free opportunity in the country for
genius to shine”.

18. • “In India the Government official is dreaded like a
snake. All things official are suspected. People are
afraid and the officials adopt the attitude of vain-
glorious bullies”. “So I found in India that humanity is
generally brutalized and demoralized by excessive
idleness and non-development of material resources.
Ethics and aesthetics are but polite arts of the idle
rich. The richest houses are hovels, they have no
music of love, their hearts are empty, their homes are
as living graves. The country is doomed, the people
are damned”. “Theological superstitions and
communal biases brutalize almost every Indian; even
those of great erudition and culture are stuck in the
same quagmire. The life in India on the whole is
hopelessly inartistic, filthy and barbarous as compared
with the life in Japan”.

19. True Face of India’s Ruling Elites
D R Chaudhry,Reporting in The
Tribune(16 Oct. 2001)

20. Thank You !!!