Punjab ranks among top states in school education, says Harjot Singh Bains

Punjab has emerged as one of the best-performing states in school education, according to the NITI Aayog Education Quality Report 2026. Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains said the state has performed better than Kerala on several important learning indicators, especially in language and mathematics.

The minister shared details of the report on Sunday and said the achievement reflects years of effort by teachers, students, parents, and the state government to improve government schools.

According to Bains, Punjab recorded strong results in foundational learning. In Class 3 language proficiency, Punjab scored 82%, while Kerala scored 75%. In mathematics for the same class, Punjab achieved 78%, compared to Kerala’s 70%.

The report also showed that Punjab performed better in higher classes. In Class 9 mathematics, Punjab students scored 52%, while Kerala scored 45%.

The minister said these results show that Punjab’s education system has improved steadily over the last few years.

He added that the success was not sudden but the result of consistent work, better planning, and improved implementation of policies.

Bains said the achievement belongs to every parent, teacher, and student who trusted and supported government schools.

He stated that education reforms in Punjab focused not only on infrastructure but also on improving learning quality in classrooms.

The minister also highlighted several improvements in school facilities across the state.

According to the report, almost all government schools in Punjab now have electricity. Around 99.9% of schools are connected with power supply.

The report further stated that 99% of government schools now have functional computers, helping students gain digital learning experience.

More than 80% of schools in the state are also equipped with smart classrooms, allowing teachers to use modern teaching methods.

Officials believe these facilities have helped students learn better and increased their interest in studies.

Better learning and school facilities

The Punjab government says one of its major achievements has been reducing dropout rates in schools.

According to the report, over 90% of students who complete Class 10 now continue their education in Class 11. This shows that more students are staying in school instead of leaving studies midway.

The student-teacher ratio has also improved in the state. Punjab now has an average ratio of 22 students for every teacher, which officials describe as ideal for better classroom attention.

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Education experts often say that a lower student-teacher ratio helps teachers focus more on each child’s learning needs.

The state government has also worked on improving school buildings, classrooms, sports facilities, and digital education tools in recent years.

Officials say these changes have made government schools more attractive to students and parents.

Earlier, many parents preferred private schools because they believed government schools lacked proper facilities and teaching quality.

However, the Punjab government claims the situation is now changing as government schools are showing better academic performance and improved infrastructure.

The minister also said Punjab has successfully reduced the gap between urban and rural education.

According to the NITI Aayog report, village students and girls are getting better educational opportunities across the state.

Bains said the report praised Punjab for ensuring equal access to education in both cities and rural areas.

He added that government schools in villages are now performing much better than before because of focused reforms and investment.

The state government has also introduced several programs to improve English learning, science education, sports training, and digital teaching methods.

Teachers have been given training in modern teaching practices, and schools have received additional support for technology-based learning.

Officials believe these reforms have helped students perform better in competitive exams as well.

More students clearing competitive exams

The Punjab education minister said government school students are now achieving success in national-level entrance exams in larger numbers.

According to the data shared by the minister, 786 students from government schools in Punjab have cleared the JEE Main examination so far.

The JEE Main exam is conducted for admission to engineering colleges across India.

In addition, 1,284 government school students have qualified for the NEET examination, which is required for admission to medical colleges.

The minister said these numbers show that students from government schools can compete successfully with students from private institutions.

He also said Punjab has adopted several global best practices in school education, which have improved the learning environment for students.

The state government believes that stronger public education can provide better opportunities to children from all backgrounds, especially poor and rural families.

Education remains one of the key focus areas for the Punjab government, and officials say more reforms are planned in the coming years.

The NITI Aayog report is likely to strengthen the government’s claim that its school education policies are delivering positive results.

However, experts also say that maintaining high performance will require continuous improvement in teaching quality, infrastructure, and student support systems.

Many education specialists believe that learning outcomes should be tracked regularly to ensure that students continue to improve across all subjects and classes.

Parents and teachers in Punjab have welcomed the report and said it has boosted confidence in government schools.

Several teachers said the recognition will motivate schools and students to work even harder in the future.

The Punjab government has said it will continue investing in education and focus on making government schools stronger, modern, and more accessible to every child in the state.