Pankaj Kumar Goyal, a social sciences teacher at the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) for Girls, Barnala, has been selected for the National Teachers’ Award, 2024, that will be presented to him by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on September 5.
Goyal and Rajinder Singh of Government Primary School, Kothe Inder Singh Wale, Bathinda, are the only two teachers from Punjab to be selected for the prestigious award.
The announcement was made by the Union ministry of education on Tuesday in recognition of Goyal’s exceptional efforts in transforming the educational prospects of underprivileged students.
Goyal’s journey from an office clerk to a national award-winning educator is inspirational. He began his career in 2001 as a clerk in the Punjab education department but was driven by his passion for teaching and the desire to make a difference.
While serving in office, Goyal completed his graduation in arts and went on do B.Ed, leading to his promotion as a social sciences teacher in 2010.
His thirst for knowledge didn’t end there for he went on to pursue MA in political science and English.
Scholarships to stem dropout rate
Ever since he joined the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) for Girls, Barnala, in 2016, Goyal was concerned about the dropout rate of students, particularly girls. It was lack of funds that made most students drop out after Class 8 despite their academic potential.
This prompted Goyal to initiate special coaching sessions to prepare the students for the National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme, which provides an annual scholarship of ₹12,000 to meritorious students from Classes 8 to 12.
“Until Class 8, education is free. But after that, students from humble backgrounds, particularly girls, drop out due to financial difficulties. I wanted to help these girls, so I started offering coaching to prepare them for the scholarship,” he says.
His dedication paid off and 17 of his students won the scholarship in the 2023-24 exam. Fourteen students had been successful the year before.
Teaching made engaging
Beyond his role as a teacher, Goyal is known for making social sciences more engaging and relevant to day-to-day life.
Barnala deputy commissioner Poonam Deep Kaur said, “It is a matter of great pride for our district that a teacher from here has been chosen for this honour. Pankaj Goyal has been working actively towards the holistic development of girls through education.”
