PUNE | September 6, 2026
Pune Zilla Parishad will seek to expand its model-school programme to 1,000 schools, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said at an education awards ceremony in Pune on Sunday. She also called for teachers to become literate in artificial intelligence and urged the state government to support safety infrastructure at schools in leopard-prone areas.
Pawar was speaking at the Zilla Parishad’s Ideal Teacher Awards, President’s Cup and scholarship examination felicitation programme at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. The event recognised 53 teachers, 522 meritorious students and three winners of the President’s Cup competition with certificates and mementoes.
“Three hundred and three Zilla Parishad schools in the district have been transformed through the Model School initiative. In the coming period, the objective is to make 1,000 schools model schools,” Pawar said. She added that the state government would provide the necessary support for the expansion.
Pawar said the role of teachers had changed as education methods evolved. She urged teachers to provide students with more than textbook knowledge by developing their readiness to work hard, scientific thinking and a sense of patriotism. Teachers, she said, should also help students understand how to remain competitive in a changing environment.
“Teachers need to become AI literate according to the changing times,” Pawar said, describing education as the country’s most important tool and teachers as a key national resource. She also referred to the Global Guruji initiative and opportunities for teachers to learn foreign languages as measures intended to strengthen their capabilities.
Pawar said children studying in Zilla Parishad schools represented the strength of rural Maharashtra. She encouraged students to read, think, ask questions, form their own opinions and not fear failure.
Zilla Parishad president Veerdhaval Jagdale said the administration’s objective was to improve the quality of both teachers and students. He said teachers were expected to provide quality education and that their work would continue to be assessed.
Zilla Parishad vice-president Vivek Valse Patil asked the state government to provide funds to construct protective walls around schools located in areas where leopard movement is reported. He said students needed a safe environment in addition to educational facilities.
Chief executive officer Gajanan Patil said the Zilla Parishad was implementing initiatives including Mission 300, Global Guruji, teacher empowerment training, a children’s literature conference, a bicycle bank for girls and a children’s parliament. The announcements place the expansion of school infrastructure and teacher training alongside student-focused programmes in the district’s education agenda.
