Punjab government to launch ‘Schools of Eminence’ project

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is all set to launch its first major education project, ‘Schools of Eminence’.

The launch programme will be held at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali, said an official from the Punjab education department. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is expected to be the chief guest.

Sources said that School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains was also trying to ensure the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the launch but it has not been confirmed yet.

Under the project, the AAP government will upgrade existing government schools into ‘Schools of Eminence’ for classes 9 to 12. The government plans to upgrade nearly 110 government schools as ‘Schools of Eminence’ in Phase 1.

The AAP government in its first budget in June last year had set aside a fund of Rs 200 crore for ‘Schools of Eminence’ and said that these schools will be equipped with superlative infrastructure and will be at par with international standards.

The project is inspired by Delhi’s ‘Schools of Specialized Excellence’, which also conduct admissions at the Class 9 level.