This Directorate has been set up by the Punjab Government vide its Notification No. 10/6/2002-3E.7/7825, dated 1.4.2003 to implement the Education Policies of the Government regarding Elementary Education fully. Prior to it, a separate Directorate of Primary Education was established by the State Government since February 1978. The main object of the Primary Education Directorate was to ensure to provide free and compulsory Education to the children of age group 6 to 11 years under the compulsory "Primary Education Act, 1960". In the year 2003, this Directorate has been upgraded upto the level of Elementary Education thereby changing its nomenclature to "Director Public Instruction (Elementary Education), Punjab". Every revenue village of the state is having a Government Primary school.
There are 12,972 Govt. Primary Schools now designated as Elementary Schools in which 14,88,412 students are getting education for primary classes. There are 38,558 posts of JBT, 8,134 posts of Head Teacher, 1,499 posts of CHT sanctioned under this Directorate.
There are 228 posts of Block Primary Education Officers, out of which 75% posts are promotional posts. There are 77 Grant-in-Aid Primary Schools in the State. 7,78,622 students of Upper Primary Classes from VI-VIII take Education in 5,437 Govt. Schools alongwith 399 Private Aided Schools with a total of 5836 schools.
Elementary Directorate is getting budget under Head 2202-General Education-01-Elementary Education (Non-Plan) for Govt. Primary, Grant-in-Aid Primary and Inspection sub head with a total budget of 4,28,27,96 thousands in 2006-07, 5,58,57,85 for 2007-08 and budget for the year 2008-09 is proposed to be 5,72,75,00 thousands.
