Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): In a major overhaul of the school education framework, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini on Wednesday announced summer vacation for all schools in the state from May 25 to June 30. Accepting proposals from Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda, the state government has decided to make ‘Shramdaan’ (voluntary labour) a mandatory part of the curriculum in Haryana’s government schools. The move aims to cultivate discipline, cooperation, and a sense of social responsibility among students from an early age. Additionally, to ensure an uninterrupted and highly focused learning environment, the Chief Minister banned the use of mobile phones by teachers in classrooms. All mobile devices must be deposited in the principal’s office during school hours.
Presiding over a high-level review meeting on school infrastructure in Chandigarh alongside the Education Minister, Chief Minister Saini also launched the Chief Minister Excellence and Early English Schools initiative. Aligning with the 2026-27 budget announcements, 250 identified schools were inaugurated in the first phase. These institutions will be developed on the lines of the central PM-SHRI and Model Schools. Affiliated with the Haryana Board of School Education, they will offer dual-medium instruction in both Hindi and English. These excellence schools will feature modern labs, smart classrooms, and robust infrastructure, with principals and teachers selected through a strict screening process to maintain high educational standards.
Turning his focus to school infrastructure, the Chief Minister directed the complete integration of the department’s construction wing to standardise school building designs and eliminate haphazard structures. He ordered that the reconstruction of dilapidated or unsafe school buildings must be taken up on absolute priority. Saini issued strict instructions for the immediate repair and regular maintenance of school toilets and boundary walls. He emphasized that the School Management Committee and school principals must personally inspect the quality of these civil works, and payments to contractors should only be cleared upon receiving satisfactory ground reports. The state will also establish new primary schools based on village demands and prioritize filling vacant teaching and administrative posts.
To bridge learning gaps, Chief Minister Saini demanded that all installed smart classrooms be made fully operational. He warned of strict action against officials who previously submitted false compliance reports regarding information technology setups that remain dysfunctional on the ground. For schools facing temporary teacher shortages, the state will implement interactive live streaming sessions via a two-directional system. The government will also enlist willing retired teachers on a voluntary basis with a fixed honorarium until regular recruitments are finalized. Furthermore, regular sports periods have been made compulsory to encourage physical fitness, and a survey will be conducted to track tree plantation and gardening efforts across campuses.
To bring transparency to school governance, Saini mandated monthly School Management Committee meetings, which will be tracked via a newly developed quick-access portal containing agendas and minutes. Senior district officials and education department personnel will conduct surprise inspections and interact with students to review ground realities. Addressing financial support at the primary level, the Chief Minister announced a significant increase in the monthly maintenance and basic amenities allocation per student, raising it from 36 rupees to 100 rupees. The strategic meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to CM Arun Kumar Gupta, School Education Principal Secretary Vijay Singh Dahiya, and several other top administrative officials.
