The Himachal Pradesh government will introduce moral education in the school syllabus from the next academic session, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced on Wednesday during an interaction with students at a CBSE school in Kaza, in the state's Lahaul and Spiti district. The syllabus is currently being prepared.
The announcement followed a discussion with students about their academic needs and school facilities. One student requested that environmental studies be included in the curriculum. Responding to the suggestion, Sukhu stressed the importance of environmental protection, saying, “Only if the environment survives, we will survive.”
The government has not yet released details of the proposed moral education syllabus, including the classes it will cover, the subjects it will include or how schools will assess students.
Students raise concerns over hostel facilities
The interaction also brought attention to infrastructure gaps at the Kaza school. A student told the chief minister that the school had 85 students, including 46 girls living in a hostel, with the hostel lacking a cook, cleaning staff and a female warden.
Sukhu said separate hostels for boys and girls would be constructed, along with a residential block for teachers. He also assured students that funds would be provided to improve the school building and facilities.
Students also reported difficulties studying in cold classrooms with inadequate lighting. The chief minister said the government would take steps to upgrade the school, aiming to complete the work before the next academic session.
Skill training and competitive exam coaching
Students from Spiti also sought special coaching facilities to prepare for competitive examinations without having to travel outside the region. Sukhu said the government would take steps to address the request.
He added that skill training courses would soon be introduced in the region. The government would also consider specialised tourism-related training to help local youth access employment and self-employment opportunities.