Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 27 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur on Friday hailed the state's remarkable turnaround in school education, declaring that it has reclaimed its position as a leader in educational outcomes.

'It 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,' Thakur told reporters in Shimla.

However, he acknowledged that in recent years, Himachal Pradesh had been witnessing a decline in the quality of education.

'The 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,' he said.

'The 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,' Thakur said.

Thakur said that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, which came to power in December 2022, inherited a crumbling education system along with a broken economy, and it posed a dual challenge.

'I may not be an academician, but I am a hard taskmaster,' he said, adding that strict measures were implemented, and with the cooperation of officials, employees and teachers, the department accepted the challenge head-on.

'ASER Now Ranks Himachal No. 1 in Reading and Learning', he said.

'We 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,' he informed.

'In 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,' he said.

The minister emphasised that the education department had focused on consolidation rather than expansion and had worked efficiently with limited resources.

'We 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,' he added.

Thakur revealed that 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,' he said.

'We also recruited 700 lecturers through the Commission, whereas the previous government managed only 500 appointments in five years,' he noted.

'To 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,' the minister said.

'For 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,' Thakur said.

He also assured that PGT and school cadre promotions would be completed within two months and that the introduction of English-medium sections and exposure visits were all part of efforts to raise educational quality.

Rohit Thakur also addressed the sensitive issue of school closures and mergers, explaining the rationale behind the decisions.

'Around 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,' he said.

'Where there is demand, we will deploy more teachers. But we must rationalise resources,' Thakur told ANI.

He stated that reforms have now been tied to clear performance outcomes, and the responsibilities of principals, headmasters, directors, and additional directors have been redefined.

'Unless we link reforms with measurable results, they will not deliver. We are now doing exactly that,' Thakur added. (ANI)