📚 What Is the ‘Apna Vidyalaya’ Programme?
The ‘Apna Vidyalaya – Himachal School Adoption Programme’ is a state government initiative designed to improve the quality of education in government schools by fostering active involvement from senior officials and the community. It’s part of a broader effort to strengthen public education through mentorship, monitoring, and guidance.
The scheme falls under the My School-My Pride campaign and aims to:
- Boost academic outcomes and infrastructure
- Encourage student engagement and career guidance
- Improve school governance and fund utilization
- Address social issues like drug abuse and value education among students
🧑💼 Full-Scale Implementation Push by the CM
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has recently called on senior district-level officers to actively implement the programme throughout Himachal Pradesh. In a virtual meeting with all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and officers, he instructed that a complete and updated list of adopted schools be submitted to the government by January 5, 2026.
📌 Key Directives from the CM
✔ Each DC, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate must adopt at least four government schools.
✔ These officials will act as mentors and patrons, visiting their adopted schools at least once a month.
✔ Routine mentorship includes:
- Interacting with students
- Offering career counselling
- Supporting preparation for competitive exams
- Conducting surprise inspections and quality checks
🏫 Scale of the Programme So Far
As of early January 2026:
- 4,231 government schools across the state have been adopted under the programme.
Breakdown includes:- ~1,950 primary schools
- 59 middle schools
- 664 high schools
- 1,558 senior secondary schools
This shows a wide reach across different education levels, from primary to senior secondary institutions.
🤝 Goals & Expected Outcomes
📈 Improving Education Quality
The core idea is to bring hands-on leadership and community involvement into government schools. Adopted schools will benefit from:
- Direct oversight by senior officers
- Regular assessments of academic performance
- Better alignment between local schools and state education goals
👩🎓 Student Guidance & Support
The programme emphasizes continuous engagement with students, including:
- Career guidance
- Motivational interaction
- Support for competitive exam preparation
This addresses educational inequality by giving students access to mentorship they might not otherwise receive.
🧑🏫 Strengthening Governance
Officers are expected to work with School Management Committees and teachers, ensuring that:
- Government funds for schools are used effectively
- Administrative gaps are bridged
- Local school challenges are communicated to the state government
🌍 Linking Education with Social Awareness
During the meeting, the CM highlighted that school visits should also be used to discuss key social issues with students, including:
- Drug abuse awareness
- National values
- Legal consciousness
This adds a social development dimension to the programme beyond academics.