Chandigarh, March 28 Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Saturday that plans are in place to roll out a student absence alert SMS system in all government schools, which will boost regular attendance and further strengthen the education system.
The SMS alerts will notify parents when their child is absent. He said this move will promote accountability.
To enhance community participation to improve student learning outcomes under the ongoing "Punjab Sikhya Kranti" initiative, the Punjab government organized a statewide Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) across all government primary, middle, high, and senior secondary schools on Saturday.
The initiative successfully reached over 18 lakh parents in a single day, making it one of the largest school-community engagement exercises in the country, according to an official statement.
The education minister said, "Parents were made aware of the student absence alert SMS system through structured orientations and one-on-one discussions. The Mega PTM went beyond simply distributing report cards, providing comprehensive feedback on each child's progress."
"Schools created welcoming environments, showcased student work through exhibitions, and focused on HPV vaccination for girls to promote adolescent health."
Describing the Mega PTM as a critical step towards strengthening the state's education ecosystem, Bains said, "All government schools dedicated the entire day exclusively to interactions between parents, teachers, and students, transforming classrooms into collaborative spaces focused on meaningful dialogue rather than routine academic transactions to build a responsive and inclusive public education system."
Bains emphasized that the Punjab Sikhya Kranti is about building strong partnerships between schools and families, not just improving infrastructure. He added that when parents and teachers work together, every child benefits. This Mega PTM aimed to strengthen that partnership across Punjab's government schools, he said.
"The PTM meeting also served as a platform for an enrollment drive for the new academic session to encourage admissions in government schools, while disseminating information on key quality initiatives such as Mission Samarth, Hunar Sikhya, and other flagship programmes," he added.