Haryana makes English medium from Class 1 in 270-plus renamed primary schools
By Aditi KulkarniEducation Writer, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: DariuszSankowski / Pixabay
Haryana's October 27, 2026 order renames over 270 government primary schools as excellence or model schools, with English medium from Class 1 and co-education.
What Happened
Haryana's school education department has redesignated more than 270 government primary schools as either Government Chief Minister Excellence and Early English Primary Schools or Government Model Sanskriti Primary Schools, under a notification dated Tuesday, October 27, 2026. In these schools, English will be the medium of instruction from Class 1, all of them will be co-educational, and teachers will be placed through a screening process. The department said no fee or financial contribution will be collected from students beyond the prescribed regular funds.
Key Facts
- More than 270 government primary schools are covered by the October 27, 2026 notification.
- They are renamed as Government Chief Minister Excellence and Early English Primary Schools (GCMEEEPS) or Government Model Sanskriti Primary Schools (GMSPS).
- Among them are 157 primary schools, including some girls' primary schools, attached to PM SHRI or CMEEE secondary schools, and 45 Model Sanskriti primary schools attached to CMEEE senior secondary schools.
- English is the medium of instruction from Class 1; one report says that from Class 2 there will be one section each in Hindi and English medium.
- The schools will function as co-educational schools.
- Teachers will be deployed through a screening process like the one used for existing Model Sanskriti, PM SHRI and CMEEE schools.
- No extra fee will be charged; the Model Sanskriti primary schools will receive Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi, a school development fund, from the 2027-28 session.
Why It Matters
Many parents want their children taught in English, which they see as a route to better jobs and higher education. This order offers English-medium teaching inside the government system, at no extra cost. By linking the primary schools to its better-resourced secondary schools, such as PM SHRI and CMEEE schools, the state also creates a clearer path for children from Class 1 to Class 12 in one family of schools.
The decision also touches a long debate about how young children learn best, in their home language or in English. Haryana's plan, as reported, to offer both Hindi and English sections from Class 2 gives families a choice between the two. How well it works will depend on teachers' own English skills and on support for children who do not hear English at home.
Teacher screening is the other key change. Placing teachers through a selection process, instead of routine postings, is meant to put motivated and qualified staff in the new schools. For teachers, it means a new route into these schools but also more scrutiny.
For parents, the immediate questions are practical: which schools in their area have been redesignated, whether there is space for admission, and what changes in the classroom. The list of schools and notices are published on the state school education directorate's website.
| Haryana primary school change | Detail |
|---|---|
| Notification | October 27, 2026 |
| Schools covered | More than 270 government primary schools |
| Medium of instruction | English from Class 1; Hindi and English sections from Class 2 (as reported) |
| Type | Co-educational |
| Teachers | Placed through screening |
| Fees | None beyond prescribed regular funds |
Impact
Short-term: Redesignated schools change their names and start moving to English-medium teaching and co-education, and teachers are selected through screening.
Long-term: If the schools deliver good learning results, they could slow the shift of families to private schools and raise trust in government primary education in Haryana.
Who is affected: Children in Classes 1 to 5 and their parents, teachers in the redesignated schools, and private schools that compete for the same families.
Key Takeaway
Haryana has turned more than 270 government primary schools into excellence or model schools with English medium from Class 1, co-education, screened teachers and no extra fees, from an October 27, 2026 order.
Questions and Answers
What has Haryana changed in its primary schools?
Under an October 27, 2026 notification, more than 270 government primary schools were renamed as Chief Minister Excellence and Early English Primary Schools or Model Sanskriti Primary Schools, with English medium from Class 1 and co-education.
Will parents have to pay fees in these Haryana schools?
No. The department said no fee or financial contribution will be collected beyond the prescribed regular funds.
Will Hindi-medium classes continue?
One report says that from Class 2 there will be one section each in Hindi medium and English medium, so families may have a choice.
How will teachers be chosen for these schools?
Through a screening process similar to the one used for existing Model Sanskriti, PM SHRI and CMEEE schools.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Aditi Kulkarni, Education WriterCovers Education and more for Peepals Bharat. All stories by Aditi Kulkarni
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Aditi Kulkarni is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
