Smart school catches fancy of students

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 26

In order to uplift the standard of education at government schools, the Punjab Government’s smart schools project has started showing positive results.

Under the project, the government school inside the Punjab Agricultural University campus has been converted into a first Government Senior Secondary ‘Smart’ School in the district.

After the school was inaugurated by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on August 14, students from leading private schools have started taking admission at this institute.

Ali Rana, a student and state-level sports player has taken admission in Class XI. Rana said he is feeling happy after taking admission in this school. He added that he was studying in a leading private school and his annual fee was Rs 65,000 whereas at Government Senior Secondary ‘Smart’ School, he would pay Rs 2,500 as annual fee. He said all teachers in this school are highly qualified and have joined service after clearing various competitive exams.

Rana further said that syllabus as well as medium of both the schools is same. He alleged that in his previous school, students were forced to study tuition from their respective school teachers.

He said that at his previous school, he was allowed to train only as a gymnast, whereas at Government Senior Secondary “Smart” School, he could take part in athletics as well as football along with gymnastics as play grounds are far bigger than those in his previous school.

Sanjeev Thapar, Principal, Government Senior Secondary ‘Smart’ School, PAU said, “This school has been turned ‘smart’ with a cost of Rs 50 lakh. There are eight new classrooms, each having projector facility along with other modern teaching aids. Four new toilets have also been constructed while the aexisting ones have been renovated. For creating a positive educational environment, landscaping has been done and colour coding is being done as well.”

Thapar said ever since the smart school has come up, students from private schools have started contacting him for admission. He said they are hopeful that from next academic session, several students from private schools would become a part of Government Senior Secondary ‘Smart’ School, PAU.