Pb govt to equip schools with computer labs, interactive panels: Min Bains

Chandigarh: Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday announced a Rs 400-crore digitalisation project aimed at upgrading technological facilities in govt schools across the state. Under this initiative, 5,000 govt schools will be equipped with dedicated computer laboratories, while nearly 3,700 schools will receive interactive flat panels. Every school across Punjab will receive these new equipment by March 20," he said. Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Bains said the initiative would replace outdated hardware and phase out obsolete computer systems while ensuring that all govt senior secondary schools, high schools and middle schools are equipped with the latest digital infrastructure.
Sharing details of the intervention, Bains said, "As many as 38,649 brand-new desktop computers equipped with the latest software are being deployed across 5,012 govt schools. These will be distributed to all senior secondary and high schools, as well as 50% of middle schools, ensuring that students have access to the latest hardware and technology."He added that dedicated computer labs will be established in 5,000 secondary and senior secondary govt schools. "To foster interactive learning, we are installing 8,268 interactive flat panels in 3,694 schools. Every senior secondary and high school will receive these panels, with larger schools receiving four, five or even eight units based on student strength. This massive infusion of technology ensures that digital literacy and smart learning are no longer the privileges of private institutions but the fundamental right of every student in Punjab's public school system," he said.Describing the move as a decisive shift from traditional chalkboards to technology-driven smart classrooms, the minister noted, "The move would phase out obsolete computer systems. For too long, our students worked on computers so outdated that they barely functioned, still running on old versions of Microsoft Paint. We are changing it permanently."Not a future promise: ‘Deliveries begin'He emphasised that implementation had already began and was not a future promise. "This is not just an announcement for tomorrow; deliveries already began in schools today. Bains reiterated that the mass-scale rollout marks a structural shift in pedagogy and said, "This mass-scale rollout of interactive flat panels and computers is a game changer. It will fundamentally change how lessons are delivered, understood and experienced. Punjab Sikhya Kranti is about systemic reform, and digital classrooms are a crucial pillar of that transformation."The education minister stated that school heads were directed to organise School Level Unboxing Celebration Programmes between Feb 21 and March 20 by inviting parents, School Management Committees, village panchayats, retired teachers and ex-servicemen to witness the inauguration of this new digital era. "We want the community to see the change in the govt education system. Often, people look at govt schools from the outside and do not realise the transformation inside. Let the parents see that their children are learning with the latest technology, perhaps even better than private schools in the area. This will build confidence in our public education system," he said.