Punjab News:Manish Sisodia Interacts With Over 200 Govt School Teachers in Hoshiarpur on Teachers’ Day, Hails Their Role in Punjab’s ‘Shikhya Kranti’

*Punjab’s education transformation is being written by teachers, not in govt files: Manish Sisodia*

*Punjab Govt school students are now qualifying NEET & JEE, pursuing ambitions once considered beyond their reach: Manish Sisodia*

*Bhagwant Mann Govt sending teachers to Singapore, Finland & IIM Ahmedabad tells them Punjab’s future rests in their hands: Manish Sisodia*

*Punjab’s No. 1 position in classroom learning outcomes reflects capability & commitment of its teachers: Manish Sisodia*

On Teachers’ Day, former Delhi Education Minister and AAP Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia interacted with over 200 government school teachers in Hoshiarpur, putting Punjab’s education transformation at the centre of the discussion. He highlighted Punjab’s No. 1 position in classroom learning outcomes and the Bhagwant Mann Government’s investment in teacher training, including exposure programmes in Singapore, Finland and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

From a government school in Tanda growing from fewer than 40 students to more than 400 to students qualifying NEET and JEE, he pointed to teachers as the force behind the change. He said the real transformation was taking place inside classrooms, where teachers were rebuilding the confidence and aspirations of Punjab’s students.

During the interaction, teachers spoke about their personal journeys, the challenges they had overcome, and the changes they were witnessing in the aspirations, confidence and achievements of their students.

Former Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia called teachers the “pilots of society” and stated, “A pilot is trusted with the lives and destination of everyone on board. In the same way, a teacher is entrusted with the future direction of an entire generation. Every doctor, engineer, bureaucrat, entrepreneur, minister and leader has first passed through the hands of a teacher.”

Manish Sisodia said that the most important contribution of the Bhagwant Mann Government to education was not merely the construction of better infrastructure, but the restoration of dignity, confidence and professional pride among government school teachers.

The former Delhi Education Minister continued, “The Bhagwant Mann Government has treated teachers not as the last link in an administrative chain, but as the most important leaders of Punjab’s transformation. When a government sends its teachers to Singapore, Finland and IIM Ahmedabad, it is not simply arranging a training programme. It is sending a powerful message, that our teachers deserve exposure to the best ideas in the world because the future of Punjab rests in their hands.”

Manish Sisodia said Punjab’s emergence as India’s No. 1 state in classroom learning outcomes, ahead of traditionally high-performing states such as Kerala, was not achieved through publicity or government orders. “This recognition belongs first and foremost to Punjab’s teachers. Governments can provide resources, training and an enabling environment, but the real transformation takes place inside a classroom, between a teacher and a child,” he said.

Sharing his larger vision for education, Manish Sisodia said schools must prepare students not only to clear examinations and find employment, but also to make responsible choices in life. “Knowledge and skills are like applications, but values are the operating system on which a person’s entire life runs. An education system must certainly prepare young people for careers, but it must also give them the strength to reject corruption, stay away from drugs, respect others and use their abilities for the progress of society,” he added.

He said India cannot become a developed nation merely by producing more degree-holders. It needs confident, capable and compassionate young people, and only empowered teachers can prepare such a generation. “A child qualifying NEET or JEE, a school growing from 40 students to 400, or a student speaking with confidence for the first time, these are not isolated anecdotes. Together, they tell the story of a government school system regaining the confidence of its teachers, students and communities,” he said.

Manish Sisodia said governments must move beyond remembering teachers only on Teachers’ Day and create regular platforms for listening to their classroom experiences. “The people who understand children and classrooms most deeply are teachers. Any serious education policy must be built with them, not merely handed down to them,” he said.

Congratulating the teaching community, Manish Sisodia added, “Buildings can be constructed through budgets and technology can be purchased through tenders, but the future of a child can only be shaped by an inspired teacher. Punjab’s teachers are not simply teaching today’s students, they are building tomorrow’s Punjab.”

*Teachers’ Stories Reveal the Change Taking Place*

The interaction brought forward several inspiring accounts of change from Punjab’s government schools.

Principal Rajesh Singh of PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School, Kamahi Devi, shared how students from his school were now qualifying competitive examinations such as NEET and JEE. Manish Sisodia said these achievements demonstrated how government school students were beginning to pursue ambitions once considered beyond their reach.

Raminder Kaur of Government Elementary School, Bajwara, recalled choosing to become a government school teacher despite having cleared GMAT and TOEFL and considering opportunities abroad. With more than 14 years of teaching experience, her journey reflected the talent and commitment present within Punjab’s government school system.

Narinder Arora, a government school teacher from Tanda, narrated how teachers responded when their school, with fewer than 40 students, faced the possibility of being merged. Through sustained engagement with parents and the local community, the teachers increased enrolment to more than 400 students.

“This is what ownership looks like,” Manish Sisodia said. “These teachers did not wait for an order from Chandigarh. They took responsibility for their school and earned the community’s trust,” he added.

Teacher Monica spoke about the impact of the government’s Reading Comprehension App. She said students were showing visible improvement in English comprehension, fluency and their ability to answer questions confidently, skills that would strengthen both their higher-education prospects and employability.

The programme was attended by Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain, Member of Parliament Raj Kumar Chabbewal, MLAs Bram Shanker Jimpa, Jasbir Singh Raja Gill, Advocate Karambir Singh Ghuman and Dr Ishank Kumar; Mukerian constituency in-charge Sarbjot Singh Sabi; Mayor Parveen Saini; Senior Deputy Mayor Surinder Kumar; Deputy Mayor Sandeep Kumar; and other dignitaries.