Harpreet Singh, a Barnala teacher, spent over a decade transforming his dilapidated school building into a smart one that now boasts the state’s first kindergarten section, a language lab, and LED screens with projectors. He is now one of two teachers from the state who have been chosen for the national award, which will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu on Teachers’ Day, September 5.
Arun Kumar Garg, a Mansa government school principal, started a YouTube channel to deliver free mathematics lectures to students when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Harpreet Singh (43), the head teacher at a government primary school in Bihla village, Barnala district, says he began the initiative to transform his dilapidated school building into a smart one in 2009.
He claims that over the years, Rs 39 lakh has been spent on the school’s construction. He, too, contributed to the school’s infrastructure. “It was a very old school building. With the support of villagers and NRIs, a new school building was built,” says Singh, adding that new teaching techniques were introduced for better learning for students.
Providing digital education
“LED screens with projectors have been installed in classes for providing digital education,” he says. A language lab has also been set up in the school and it helps improving pronunciation of students. The teacher says an education activity park has also been set up in the school. The state’s first kindergarten section has also been set up in the school, he says, adding their aim is that rural students get quality education.
Meanwhile, Mansa’s Datewas Government Senior Secondary School Principal Arun Kumar Garg says he decided to give mathematics lectures to students through YouTube after the coronavirus pandemic struck. Now, his YouTube channel, “Abhiyas by Arun Sir”, has around 12,000 subscribers.
“My idea was that more and more students learn mathematics and they should not fear it,” says Garg, who has been teaching since 2006. “There are lectures on mathematics subject from Classes 6 to 12 and anybody can have access to it,” says Garg.
Delivered lectures on the state-run DD Punjabi channel
He has also delivered lectures on the state-run DD Punjabi channel. Garg says as a student he himself was scared of mathematics.
“I just got passing marks in mathematics in Class 10 and did not study the subject in Class 11 and 12,” says Garg, who got D Litt degree from the University of Central America, Bolivia, in 2021. In another initiative, Garg along with his some friends set up an NGO, Pehal foundation, to provide free education to rural area students, who want to study medical or non-medical subjects after Class 10.
He said eight girl students from a government school in Ralli village in Mansa were enrolled. “They scored more than 90 per cent in their Class 10 exams and are now pursuing medical or non-medical subjects,” says Garg, who stresses on teaching mathematics in mother tongue for better understanding of the subject.
“We have now decided that the students who want to study medical or non-medical subjects in government schools in Mansa will be given online coaching,” says Garg, who was earlier awarded the Malti Gyan Peeth Award the President in May 2017. Syllabus books of mathematics for Class 1 to 10, written by Garg, are being taught in government schools in Punjab.
