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Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Bureaucrats adopt govt schools, teachers allege selective approach
The state government on Tuesday launched a School Mentorship Programme where bureaucrats will adopt government schools to guide and inspire students, aiming to create a strong support system through regular interactions, and mentorship. A total of 80 schools have been selected across the state, out of which 14 are from Ludhiana. However, 13 of these belong to the Schools of Eminence (SoEs) category and one is a Senior Secondary Residential School for meritorious students. While the government has praised the programme as a step towards transforming education, many educators have raised concerns about its selective nature. They alleged that regular government schools, which are in more urgent need of support, have been left out entirely. Gurpreet Singh, joint secretary of the Democratic Teachers Front, criticised the programme for being more about appearances than actual reform. 'Only SoEs and meritorious schools have been chosen. Why are regular schools being ignored when they also serve the same purpose of education? There are many schools without proper infrastructure and adequate faculty, but the government's focus has only been on highlighting SOEs,' he added. Responding to the non-inclusion of non-SoEs, Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains clarified that the programme is still in its early stages. 'Bureaucrats will adopt non-SoE schools as well. This is just the beginning. All schools will eventually benefit from the initiative,' he added. The programme officially kicked off on Tuesday, with Ludhiana deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain visiting the School of Eminence (Government Model Senior Secondary School), Millerganj. Addressing students of Class 9 and 10, Jain encouraged them to dream big and work hard. 'You are the architects of your own destiny,' he told them. Drawing inspiration from India's freedom fighters, he urged students to honour their legacy by striving for excellence and building a strong, united nation. Amritsar's deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney visited Kishori Lal Jethi School of Eminence in Khanna. She interacted with students and promised to support them throughout their academic journey. 'Your dreams are yours to achieve, and I am here to help you every step of the way,' she said, encouraging students to directly reach out to her for any support they may need. Meanwhile, Ojasvi Alankar, chief administrator of Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), adopted the School of Eminence in Indrapuri. He urged students to keep pushing despite obstacles and to never lose sight of their goals. However, voices of concern continue to grow. Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, district president of the Lecturer Cadre Union, pointed out that the students in SoEs are the product of regular government schools, where they had studied till class 8, which are now being ignored. 'The SoEs are the priority of the government, be it any programme, but the students in regular schools are the ones who truly need mentoring. This year's merit list had very few students from SoEs, which reflects the ground reality' he added.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Got no funds for Sikhya Kranti events, rue teachers
Even as the government continues its 'Punjab Sikhya Kranti' campaign by launching a wave of infrastructural projects in government schools, teachers are still waiting to be reimbursed for expenses they personally bore to hold inauguration ceremonies. Since April 7, schools across the state have been hosting inauguration ceremonies for development works under the state's ambitious 54-day education initiative. The campaign aims to cover around 25,000 renovation and repair projects worth ₹2,000 crore across 12,000 government schools. These projects are to be inaugurated by May 31, with an estimated cost of ₹20 crore for the inauguration events alone. But behind the scenes, the burden of organising these ceremonies — including costs for tents, plaques, and other arrangements — has fallen on the shoulders of school staff. Teachers say they have not only devoted time and effort to these preparations but have also paid from their own pockets, expecting that the funds would soon be released by the government. Daljit Singh Samrala, district president of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), said, 'Teachers have not just spent days preparing for these inaugurations, but they've also used their own money. Even though the inaugurations began on April 7, the funds have still not been released. It's hard this way for schools to maintain financial records.' 'The money should ideally be released before any such event so that the staff doesn't have to take on this financial load,' said one teacher, who requested not to be named. Under the current plan, senior secondary schools were sanctioned ₹20,000, secondary schools ₹10,000 and primary schools just ₹5,000 for the inauguration events. This uneven allocation has sparked frustration among primary school heads, who argue that the scale of preparation has been similar across all schools. Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers' Union (GTU), called the fund allocation 'discriminatory.' He added, 'The extra expenses will ultimately be paid by the teachers themselves.' Davinder Singh Guru, general secretary of the Lecturer Cadre Union, highlighted another issue. 'Not all vendors give GST bills. So, when we're asked to submit official invoices to the department, it becomes a challenge. If the money is provided in advance, these problems won't arise.' District education officer (elementary) Ravinder Kaur responded to the concerns, saying, 'We have been asked to submit the total budget, which we have done. The money will be released soon.' ₹57L projects inaugurated in 6 schools Punjab housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Mundian on Saturday inaugurated infrastructure projects worth ₹57.63 lakh in six government primary schools under the Sahnewal constituency. These schools — located in Mangarh, Katani Kalan, Barwala, Bhaini Sahib, Raian and Katani Khurd — are part of the ongoing 'Sikhya Kranti' mission. Speaking at the event, Mundian noted that around 28 lakh students study in Punjab's 20,000 government schools, many of which lacked proper facilities. He highlighted that ₹2,000 crore is being spent under this initiative to upgrade schools with smart classrooms, modern labs, libraries, furniture, clean drinking water, boundary walls and better buildings.
