The Punjab government has invested around Rs 2,300 crore in school infrastructure over the past four-and-a-half years, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said while presenting a status report on the state’s school education system.
According to a PTI report, Bains said the infrastructure push has been accompanied by a rise in enrolment in government schools, with 3.64 lakh students shifting from private schools to government institutions since 2022.
The minister attributed the change to the state government’s focus on upgrading government schools and improving facilities for students. He said the education system inherited by the government in 2022 faced several infrastructure gaps, including schools without boundary walls, functional toilets and drinking water facilities.
Infrastructure Upgrade Across Government Schools
Bains said the state has constructed 13,920 new toilets, while two lakh desks have been provided to schools. He claimed that all government schools in Punjab now have functional toilets, ensuring that students no longer have to sit on floors due to a lack of furniture.
More than 9,000 classrooms and laboratories have also been constructed, while over 10,000 interactive panels have been installed in classrooms. As many as 5,012 schools have been upgraded with advanced computer laboratories, he said.
The minister further stated that all government schools have been equipped with Wi-Fi, while 99.9 per cent of schools now have boundary walls.
Sports infrastructure has also been expanded, with government schools receiving facilities such as swimming pools, shooting ranges, basketball and tennis courts, along with spaces for kabaddi, wrestling and boxing.
Bains also highlighted teacher training initiatives, saying principals were sent to Singapore, primary teachers to Finland and headmasters to IIM Ahmedabad for professional training.
Improvement in Competitive Exam Results
The minister said academic outcomes in government schools have also improved. A total of 786 government school students qualified for JEE, while 2,166 students cleared NEET over the last four years.
He said the number of NEET-UG qualifiers from government schools increased from 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026. The number stood at 437 in 2024 and 847 in 2025.
For JEE, Bains said 361 students qualified for JEE Main, with 64 of them going on to clear JEE Advanced.
He also said Punjab ranked first in classroom learning outcomes in the NITI Aayog Report 2026-27.
To reduce the financial burden on families, the government has capped annual school fee increases at 5 per cent, Bains added.
(With PTI Inputs)