Jammu and Kashmir’s school education system received a major boost on Thursday with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launching a series of teacher training and life-skills education initiatives, stressing that empowering teachers is the key to building confident students and a stronger society.
The programmes, developed jointly by the Bharti Airtel Foundation, SCERT J&K and the School Education Department, aim to enhance classroom teaching while equipping students to tackle modern-day challenges.
Lieutenant Governor said the initiative is a collective pledge and rooted in a fundamental truth that when we empower teachers, we inspire confidence in our students.
“When teachers are empowered, students gain confidence. When schools are strengthened, society becomes more resilient and when education moves in the right direction, Jammu Kashmir and the nation advance toward a brighter, safer and more prosperous future.
We must remember that the ultimate purpose of education is transformation. When learning connects with lived experiences, it sparks generational change. The greatest power of education does not lie in exam results but in its ability to change lives. A dedicated teacher shapes destiny. I want schools in Jammu Kashmir to focus on this aspect and become laboratories of life-building,” he said.
The one-day capacity-building programme is also linked to the broader “Drug-Free Jammu & Kashmir” campaign. Its aim is to improve teaching methods and protect students from the challenges today’s youth face. The Lieutenant Governor said that rising trends in drug abuse, mental stress, social pressure, digital-world risks and changing lifestyles have made the school’s role more important than ever. He said teachers are being provided with modern tools and training so they help build students’ personalities and empower them to face life’s challenges.
He said under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Education Policy’s aim is to develop citizens who are creative, responsible, innovative, compassionate and self-reliant. He also commended the initiative of the Directorate, School Education Jammu to start online classes for grades 11 and 12 across ten districts. He said this is an important step toward educational equality and through this initiative even students in remote villages can access quality learning.
“Success of these efforts will be measured by the confidence of our students and their contribution to a self-reliant Jammu & Kashmir. Many countries have shown that in times of crisis the younger generation becomes our greatest hope. Beyond the standard curriculum, learning must include how to overcome hardships, help rebuild communities and support one another. Life-skills–based education can reduce social divides and strengthen the values of diversity”.
Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Co-Chairman Bharti Airtel Foundation; Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department and Ms Nuriya Ansari, CEO, Bharti Airtel Foundation were among those present on the occasion.