After Punjab secured the top position in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2024, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal credited the state's unprecedented leap in education to the hard work and resilience of government school teachers and principals. At a state-level celebration in Sangrur on Sunday, Kejriwal described Punjab’s rise from the 29th position in 2017 to No. 1 in 2024 as “nothing short of revolutionary.”
Joined by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Cabinet Ministers, and senior officials, Kejriwal praised the direct engagement between policymakers and teachers as symbolic of a “new Punjab,” where educators are seen not just as functionaries but as architects of transformation.
“Punjab’s journey in education is just beginning,” Kejriwal said, outlining three core goals: eradicating drug abuse, delivering world-class education to every child, and ensuring employment for the youth. He noted that while other governments failed to create an environment for change, the AAP-led administration provided the tools and respect needed for educators to thrive.
Kejriwal recalled the pre-2022 era, when teachers often protested for their rights atop water tanks instead of being in classrooms. “Today, instead of protesting, teachers are shaping the future of Punjab alongside the Chief Minister. That’s the real change,” he said.
The celebration came in the wake of NAS 2024 results, where Punjab outperformed all other states in school-level learning outcomes. This improvement was attributed to several initiatives launched under the AAP government: upgrading school infrastructure, investing in teacher training—including international exposure—and fostering an inclusive environment for feedback and policy dialogue.
Kejriwal also addressed the social perception that once painted government school teachers as unmotivated or ineffective. He argued that these teachers were never the problem—instead, they were failed by a system that gave them no support. “The same teachers once labelled lazy have now brought Punjab to the top. It was never their fault—it was the system’s,” he said.
The Punjab government, under Bhagwant Mann, has pushed through education-focused reforms since 2022, aiming to replicate Delhi's success story. Among the key initiatives were the Teacher Training Exchange Program, Smart School expansion, and School Management Committees for greater local accountability.
Looking ahead, Kejriwal reaffirmed the party’s commitment to education as the foundation for social progress. “What Punjab has achieved today is a signal to the entire country—when teachers are empowered, the entire state rises with them,” he concluded.
