Himachal Pradesh has made a strong comeback in the field of school education, according to state Education Minister Rohit Thakur. Speaking to reporters in Shimla on Friday, Thakur highlighted that the state has regained its reputation as a frontrunner in educational achievement after facing setbacks in recent years.
鈥淚t is a matter of great pride for Himachal Pradesh that historically, from the time of Dr YS Parmar, the architect of modern Himachal, we have been known for achievements in education. Back in 1947, the literacy rate was merely 7 per cent, which rose to 83 per cent by 2011,鈥 Thakur stated.
Despite this legacy, Thakur acknowledged that Himachal鈥檚 educational standards had declined significantly during recent years. He pointed to national-level surveys that reflected the state鈥檚 downward trajectory.
鈥淭he recent surveys conducted during the tenure of the previous government were worrying and disappointing. The National Achievement Survey conducted by the Government of India showed that in 2021, Himachal, once among the top five states, slipped to 21st position, which was a major shock for us,鈥 he said.
He further cited the ASER report and the Performance Grading Index (PGI) as indicators of poor learning outcomes and falling state rankings.
鈥淭he ASER report also revealed that eighth-grade students were unable even to read or comprehend subjects of the third-grade curriculum. Similarly, in the Performance Grading Index (PGI), the state fell to 18th position, which clearly reflected the deterioration in academic performance,鈥 Thakur said.
He said that when the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government took over in December 2022, it inherited not only a weakened education system but also a struggling economy.
鈥淚 may not be an academician, but I am a hard taskmaster,鈥 Thakur remarked, crediting the turnaround to strict administrative measures and the collective effort of officials, staff, and educators.
鈥淎SER Now Ranks Himachal No. 1 in Reading and Learning鈥, he said.
Thakur attributed the improvements to the department鈥檚 bold reforms and focused execution.
鈥淲e took bold steps, and today, these reforms are showing results. The ASER report now places Himachal Pradesh at the top for reading and learning outcomes. We even surpassed Kerala. In the Performance Grading Index, Himachal has climbed back from 21st to 5th position in 2024,鈥 he informed.
鈥淚n the recent learning outcome tests, Himachal ranked 2nd in Class 3, 4th in Class 9, and 5th overall nationally. Moving from 21st to 5th is no small feat,鈥 he said.
Highlighting the shift in policy direction, Thakur noted that the government focused on strengthening existing structures rather than indiscriminate expansion.
鈥淲e said we would consolidate our department, and within two and a half years, there have been visible achievements. We started the cluster system, brought directorates together, and filled thousands of vacant posts,鈥 he added.
A key concern, he noted, was the prevalence of single-teacher schools 鈥 an issue now being addressed.
鈥3,600 schools and institutions were functioning with just one teacher, which had adversely affected performance. We approved 5,800 posts in education, of which around 4,000 have already been recruited. The number of single-teacher schools has now been reduced to half,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e also recruited 700 lecturers through the Commission, whereas the previous government managed only 500 appointments in five years,鈥 Thakur noted.
To improve higher education, new principal posts have been filled and key promotions resumed.
鈥淭o implement NEP-related directives and streamline higher education, 119 new principal posts have been filled in 136 colleges, most of which earlier had no principals,鈥 the minister said.
鈥淔or the school cadre, no regular promotions of principals have been done since 2017. We have now regularised nearly 1,900 school principals, and the promotion process has begun,鈥 Thakur said.
He added that the government is committed to completing pending promotions for PGT and school cadres within two months, along with strengthening English-medium sections and promoting exposure visits to improve learning outcomes.
Addressing the sensitive issue of school closures, Thakur defended the decisions based on practicality and data.
鈥淎round 450 schools had no students for nearly 12 years. We merged these schools. In some areas, like Lahaul-Spiti, there were eight teachers for just three students. Enrollment is declining, and migration is a factor,鈥 he said.
鈥淲here there is demand, we will deploy more teachers. But we must rationalise resources,鈥 Thakur told ANI.
Finally, he emphasised that the reforms have been tied to performance benchmarks and defined accountability at every level of the education hierarchy.
鈥淯nless we link reforms with measurable results, they will not deliver. We are now doing exactly that,鈥 Thakur added.
(With inputs from ANI)