Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday announced nursery classes would be started in 3,391 schools. He believes that can motivate parents and guardians to admit their wards in government schools.

“Furthermore, Atal Adarsh Vidya Kendra would be opened in the state with hostel facilities for imparting quality education to the students,” he said.

Addressing Gramin Vidya Upasak (Regular JBT) teachers, the Chief Minister declared that all vacancies in crafts and vocational courses and Parents Teachers Association (PTA) would be filled on priority.

Stressing on the need to maintain cordial relations with teachers, Thakur said the state would consider the demand of bringing the Gramin Vidya Upasak teacher category under the old pension scheme.

In addition the state government would take up the matter for refunding Rs 5,000 deposited by them with National Institute of Open Schooling.

He also said that a separate transfer policy would also be framed for teachers. Thakur claimed the state of Himachal Pradesh had emerged as a front runner in the field of education. He gave the credit for that to teachers who imparted education to students in far-flung areas.

The Chief Minister, however, was prompt to blame the previous government, saying that it went for unplanned opening of educational institutions without any budget provisions. Some of those institutions were merely announced with an eye on elections, he remarked.

Thakur stated that Medha Protsahan Yojana was launched in the state to provide coaching to the students for various appearing in various competitive examinations such as NEET, IIT and Civil Services, while announcing a provision of Rs 5 crore had been made for that.

He lamented that there were too many categories of teachers which needed to be rationalised as the role of all teachers was to impart education. He said that the government would ensure that all the genuine demands of teachers were redressed at the earliest while observing that education was the field where foundation stone of all development was laid.

He said that it was vital that students hold their teacher in high esteem and have special regard for them and for that teachers’ conduct should also be exemplary.