8 October 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : The Punjab School Education Department will organise a state-wide Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) in government schools on October 9, bringing parents, students and teachers together to discuss academic progress, attendance, learning needs and school-related issues.
October 9 will be observed as a non-study day in government schools, meaning regular classes will not be conducted. School heads and teachers have been directed to encourage parents to attend the meeting along with their children.
The Mega PTM is aimed at strengthening communication between parents and teachers and ensuring that families remain closely involved in their children’s education. Teachers are expected to discuss students’ academic performance, attendance, areas requiring improvement and their overall development.
Ahead of the PTM, government schools have also been asked to complete preparations at the local level. Mega meetings of School Management Committees were scheduled for October 7, during which members were to identify school-level problems and requirements and prepare action plans. Issues including cleanliness, drinking water and maintenance of school premises are among the matters being reviewed.
The meeting will also provide parents with an opportunity to interact directly with teachers and understand their children’s progress. In addition to academic performance, discussions can include attendance, learning difficulties and ways in which parents can support their children at home.
According to instructions issued by the education authorities, schools have also been asked to inform parents about government welfare and education-related initiatives, including the Mawan-Dhiyan Satkar Yojana and Mission Samarth. Schools have been directed to collect video testimonials from women beneficiaries and share selected testimonials through school social media pages and parents’ WhatsApp groups. T
The instructions have attracted criticism from some teacher organisations. The Democratic Teachers Front has objected to the use of school platforms for promoting government schemes and has argued that the PTM should primarily focus on students’ academic progress and overall development.
Teacher organisations have also raised concerns about staffing shortages and the additional responsibilities being handled by government-school teachers. The concerns come as teachers in some schools are reportedly managing duties beyond their regular academic responsibilities.
The Mega PTM is part of Punjab’s broader effort to increase parent participation in government-school education. Parent-teacher meetings give families an opportunity to understand their children’s performance while also allowing schools to receive direct feedback about facilities, teaching and other concerns.
The education department’s preparations are also focused on ensuring that the meetings are student-centred. Schools have been asked to engage parents in discussions about students’ learning progress and identify areas where additional support may be required.
The state-wide exercise is expected to involve government primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools. The participation of parents is being encouraged so that teachers and families can work together on students’ educational and developmental needs.
The October 9 PTM will therefore serve as an important platform for interaction between schools and families. While academic performance and student welfare remain central to the exercise, the government’s instructions regarding welfare schemes have also become a point of debate among sections of the teaching community.
For parents, the meeting provides an opportunity to ask questions about their children’s studies, attendance and development. Teachers can use the interaction to explain students’ strengths and weaknesses and suggest measures for improvement.
With preparations underway across government schools, Punjab’s Mega PTM is set to bring parents and teachers together across the state on October 9. The focus will be on strengthening school-parent communication and addressing issues connected with students and school development.