Education is the corner stone of economic, social and cultural development of a country. It has emerged as the most important single input in promoting human resource development in achieving rapid economic development and technological progress. An appropriate education system cultivates knowledge, better skills, positive values and attitude among the people, especially for those who acquire it.
The Punjab Government is committed to provide quality and affordable education to all. The state aims to achieve 100% GER, 100% NER, Zero drop out and 100% retention by the end of 12th Plan. Punjab has been ranked among the top 10 States in the School Education Statistics, improving its position from 13th in 2012 to 6th in 2013.

Literacy Rate :

• The literacy and level of education is prime input in overall development of individuals. Any person who is able to read and write with understanding in any language is recorded as literate. Since 1991 Census, all children below 7 years of age are treated as illiterates, even though some of them may be attending school and may have picked up some words.
• Literacy has improved considerably in the State during the last decade. Out of the total population, 75.8% were literate in 2011 as compared to 69.7 % in 2001.
• The literacy rate in urban areas is 83.18 % as against 71.42 % in rural areas according to 2011 census. In census. In census 2001, rural and urban gap in literacy rate was 14.38 %. But with the tremendous efforts on the part of various stakeholders in the education field, it declined to 11.76 % in 2011 Census.
• As far as sex-wise literacy is concerned, males are more literate (80.44%) than their female counterparts (70.73 %).

District-wise :

• District wise percentage of literates in Punjab as per 2011 Census reveals that Hoshiarpur with a literacy rate of 84.60 % is the most literate district in the state while Mansa with 61.8% is the least literate district.
• SAS Nagar, Rupnagar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, S B S Nagar, Gurdaspur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala, Amritsar and Patiala districts have more than 75% of their population as literate. Sex-wise also Hoshiarpur district tops with literacy rate of 88.8 % among males and 80.3 % among females while Mansa district has lowest literacy rate among males and females, the respective figures being 67.3 % and 55.7 % respectively.

Infrastructure of Primary and Upper Primary Schools :

• Analysis of support infrastructure in schools includes various factors such as classrooms, toilets and drinking water facility, in both primary and upper primary schools. Punjab has the least number of single teacher schools in comparison with the other states. Andhra Pradesh (13.7) has the highest number of single teacher schools. A review of the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) across states indicates that Punjab has a PTR of 27 which is less than the national average of 33. Andhra Pradesh has a PTR of 22 while Paschim Banga has the highest PTR of 48.
• Punjab has relatively good infrastructure in the primary and upper primary schools. 86.78% of the schools in Punjab have common toilets and is hence ranked 2nd among the comparable states. Karnataka at 88.15% has the highest number of schools having a common toilet facility. Maharashtra (32.49%) ranks the lowest as it has the least number of schools with a common toilet. 98.7% of the schools in Punjab have drinking water facility and is ranked 2nd below Haryana where 99.5% of the schools have drinking water facility. Karnataka with a mere 70% of schools with drinking water facility is ranked last among the comparable states.

Education Development Index (EDI) :

• Punjab is ranked 6th, overall on the Education Development Index (EDI) in 2009-10 at the primary level and 7th at the upper primary level. The composite rank was 6th and 7th in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively. While the state ranked high on the infrastructure parameter, its scores on the Outcomes parameter were amongst the lowest.
• A district-wise review of the EDI reveals that Gurdaspur is ranked highest with and overall score of 0.657, while Amritsar is ranked the lowest with access in particular being an area of concern. Punjab has good school infrastructure, however, there is scope for increasing the enrolment rates at the primary level.

Punjab School Education Board :

• Punjab School Education Board (abbreviated PSEB), Chandigarh was founded in 1969, under a legislative act of the government of Punjab to administer the curriculum taught in public schools in the Punjab state and conduct standardised examinations in addition to conducting administration of scholarships and publishing of textbooks. The headquarters of the Board are located in SAS Nagar (Mohali), near Chandigarh. Punjab School Education Board is headed by a full-time Chairman whose term lasts three years and who technically reports to the Secretary of School Education in the government of Punjab. The current Chairman is Dr Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal.

Secondary/ Senior Secondary Schooling and Higher Education :

• Among all the states, Punjab's GER stands at 46.95 which is less than the all India GER of 58.15. Also, the enrolment rate for girls (48.65) is higher than that of boys (45.54). Among the comparable states, Maharashtra has the highest GER of 69.41 followed by Karnataka (68.09) and Andhra Pradesh (61.21).
• Punjab has a GER of 32.04 which is less than the national average of 33.48.The enrolment among boys is slightly higher than that of girls in the state. Amongst the Comparable states, Maharashtra with a GER of 43.82 ranks first among the states followed by Haryana (42.11) and Maharashtra (43.82). Paschim Banga with a GER of 27.21 has the lowest enrolment rate.

Passouts :

• In terms of students passing out from the school education system, in 2009-10, out of a total of 181817 students, 66% were from the Arts stream while 19% (35255) were from the science stream.

Gender Parity Index :

• Regarding access at the secondary level, the Gender Parity Index (2010) reveals that the districts of Ludhiana, Nawanshahr and Ludhiana all have scores Over 1.00. Tarn Taran Sahib ranked the lowest with a score of just 0.77, well below the state average of 0.94.

Enrolment in Higher Education :

• Statistics for the Enrolment rates at the Higher Education level in 2011 indicate that Punjab has the lowest enrolment rate of 10.2 among all the comparable states. Maharashtra has the highest GER of 25.9 followed by Haryana at 18.8. Other states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Paschim Banga have GER comparable to the national average of 13.8. The GER of Punjab consistently lags behind the comparable states at all 4 levels viz. Primary, Secondary, Senior Secondary and Higher education. This indicates that concerted effort has to be taken to improve the enrolment rates in Punjab.

The State Government Initiatives for the improvement of Education in the state :

• Right to Education Act : The state government has by and large fulfilled its obligations under Right to Education Act. The rules have been notified. The guidelines for admission of 25% students belonging to weaker sections have been Issued. The state government has notified RTE rules under which every habitation has to be served with a primary school within one km radius and upper primary school within 3 km radius.
• EDUSAT : The Education through Satellite Programme was launched during the year 2005-06 with the aim to provide better quality education through satellite. EDUSAT programme was started in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organization for providing distant quality education to the students studying in government institutions throughout the state. Three studios, four teaching ends and one state hub has already been established. 6487 schools have been covered under the ICT Project for imparting computer education to students of 6th to 12th class. 138 more schools will be covered in 2015-16. Under EDUSAT programme, Receive Only Terminals (ROTs) have been installed in all the government senior secondary and high schools. 2983 EDUSAT libraries have been setup in government senior secondary and secondary schools so that the students can view and listen to lectures mixed with multimedia content 131 their choice.
• PARVESH (Primary Vidya Sudhar) Project : To improve the quality of education in Punjab, it was strongly felt that something innovative is needed to be done to make the quantitative learning creative and joyful. So, PARVESH Project was initiated for creative and joyful learning in primary education of Punjab. This programme attempts to build a strong base among children in learning basic language skills, mathematics and desired curriculum through Creative Learning Model (CLM) of education. In CLM, the teaching is not merely a traditional class room process where a teacher speaks and children listen and write but it involves both the teacher and children as creative and dynamic participants in the process of teaching and learning.
• Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Punjab: The main objective of the scheme is to remove gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, to ensure universal access to secondary level education by 2017 and to provide quality education to children and universal retention by 2020 through providing high school education within radius of 5Km.
• Model Schools : The Model schools of English Medium affiliated to CBSE on Kendriya Vidyala pattern have been opened in 21 educationally backward blocks of 7 districts namely Bathinda, Ferozepur, Mansa, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran.
• Adarsh schools : The state government has taken a major initiative to set up 128 Adarsh schools, at least one each in Assembly Constituency, in collaboration with the private sector. The capital cost would be Rs. 7.50 crores which shall be met on 50:50 basis between state government and private partner. No fee is charged from the students. 25 Adarsh schools have been set up throughout the state under PPP mode. The State share is to be provided by Punjab Education Development Board from the funds collected from cess on liquor.

Bhai Jaita ji (Shah Baba Jeewan Singh ji) Scheme :

• It was launched by Punjab Government. Under this scheme free text books are provided to all the students up to class 8th in government schools. Recently, the scheme has been extended to backward class and economically weaker families’students also. The aim of the scheme is to make the elementary education free in the spirit of RTE Act.
• In order to strengthen the school system, a special emphasis has been laid on the recruitment of teachers.Since 2007, 43,455 new teachers have been recruited and the recruitment of 2342 teachers is in process.

Residential Meritorious Schools :

• To provide quality education to meritorious students of poor families, the state has set up 6 residential schools with a capacity of 500 students each in the districts of Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali and Patiala. The government has decided to increase the existing capacity to 1000 in the new session 2017-18. These schools are imparting free education in English medium to meritorious students of class 11th and 12th.
• All school students at elementary level and all SC students at secondary level are given free books by the government.
• Punjab government has given tablets/Akash free of cost to 1.5 lac students of 11th standard.
• 22 KGBV (Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya) hostels for elementary school girls & 17 hostels for secondary school girls are running successfully.

Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship Scheme :

• To encourage the young children further for excellence in academics, Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship Scheme was launched on 1st August, 2013. A total of 5522 brilliant students who have scored at least 80% marks in class 10th examination, have been selected for annual scholarship of Rs. 30,000 per student.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) :

• It started the funding pattern of 75:25 to obtain universalization of elementary education. However, after the implementation of the Right to Education Act,2009 w.e.f 1st April, 2010, the funding pattern of SSA programme has been revised to 65:35. The SSA aims to provide useful and relevant education to all children in the 6-14 age groups by 2010. To achieve community involvement in the Education system in the State,19329 village Development Committees have been set up in schools and all the funds meant for schools under SSA are being routed through these committees. This programme include following schemes - Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), now Alternative Innovative Education/Special Training Scheme, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) and Mid Day Meal Scheme.

Punjab Higher Education Council :

• It has been constituted to plan, implement, monitor and take quality initiatives for making higher education relevant to the needs of the students.

Rashtriya Ucchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) :

• The state is implementing Rashtriya Ucchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) with a view to attain higher levels of access, equity and excellence in the state’s higher education system with greater efficiency, transparency, accountability and responsiveness. Under this scheme, 4 existing degree colleges are being upgraded to model degree colleges ; and 2 new Model degree colleges at Pathankot and Ferozepur, 2 new professional colleges one in Aeronautic sector and other in sports at Patiala will be opened.

Two New Colleges : have been started in 2015-16. These are :

• Govt. College for Girls, Jalalabad (Fazilka) and
• Govt. College at Amargarh (Sangrur)

Two Community Colleges have been started in 2015-16 at :

• Govt. Mohindra College, Patiala with courses in Green House Technology and Hospital Care Management.
• SCD Govt. College Ludhiana with courses in Stock Exchange Marketing Management.

• Two New Model Degree Colleges at Lamini (Pathankot) and Mokhan Khan (Ferozepur) are being established.
• The state government has notified Punjab Private Universities Policy, 2010 for setting up of self-financed universities.
• The state government is giving adequate assistance to 3 Academies namely Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy, Punjab Sahitya Academy and Punjab Lalit Kala Academy.

Incentives For Girls Education :

• The 100% centrally sponsored scheme is in operation with the objective to reduce the dropout rate and to promote enrolment of girls belonging to SC/ST communities in secondary schools and to ensure their retention up to 18 years of age. This scheme is applicable to all the girls studying in govt/govt aided/local body schools and to all the girls of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) who have passed class-VIII examination and have joined class-IX. A sum of Rs. 3000/- is credited into the bank accounts of all eligible girls under the schemes. Incentive amount could be drawn by the beneficiary after attaining the age of 18 years, after a minimum schooling of two years at secondary level and passing the class-X board examination successfully.
• Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme : Punjab government has launched ambitious scheme to provide free bicycle to all girls students studying in class 11th and 12th in all government schools to encourage them for further study. It is proposed to extend this scheme to cover all girl students studying in Class 9th and 10th.
• Free Education to Girls : under the scheme, attendance scholarship is provided to Primary girl students and free education to girls of 9th to 12th class.