Mann lauds Finland tie-up, says Punjab schools moving beyond rote learning

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday appreciated the state's partnership with Finland's University of Turku, saying Finnish pedagogical expertise was being integrated into Punjab's school system to replace rote learning with interactive methods.Mann, who visited the Kukulo-Moikoinen Early Childhood Education and Care Centre during his Finland tour, said the initiative was already yielding results by aligning global expertise with local classroom realities. He noted early signs of improved student engagement as teaching shifts towards more interactive and participatory approaches.The programme, implemented through the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), focuses on "contextual adaptation" rather than replicating the Finnish model, ensuring global best practices align with Punjab's socio-cultural environment. Training sessions have been held in Chandigarh as well as in Turku and Rauma, combining workshops, mentoring and school visits. Nearly 300 teachers are expected to be trained by May 2026."It is designed not as a short-term intervention but as a long-term institutional effort to embed child-centred and play-based learning in the state's education system, alongside inclusive teaching practices," Mann said."Teachers have also been encouraged to design context-specific projects, supported by mentors, to implement these ideas within their own classrooms. Feedback from the field suggests improvements in student participation and motivation, along with more inclusive classroom environments," he added.Mann also visited the university and its teacher training school, and said the govt plans to scale up the programme through a train-the-trainers model. "Digital platforms and blended learning formats are also being developed to support continuous professional development and wider access," he said.
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