Punjab Education Department tells teachers to like, share posts on Facebook page

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 23

In an unusual development, teachers, students and parents have been asked to like, comment and share posts, which are uploaded by the Education Department on its Facebook page. Those students, who don’t have an account, have been asked to create one.

Notably, a ‘Healthy competition’ of share, like and comment, announced by the department, is already underway. In the competition, whichever district gets most likes and shares in 24 hours will be declared winner.

A message from Patiala Deputy District Education Officer (DEO) to parents, teachers and students reads: “We have to increase followers and likes of the Education Department page on Facebook. We have 24 hours to go. Therefore, everyone has to get as many likes and share as possible.”

According to sources district education officials today had held a meeting with school principals and directed them to get maximum participation in the competition.

Following meeting, school heads directed teachers to get ‘maximum’ likes on Facebook in the coming 24 hours.

When asked about development, Deputy DEO, Sukhwinder Khosla, said, “We have been asked to share posts so that maximum people get aware of improvements in the Punjab School Education Department.”

When asked about telling young children create FB accounts, Khosla said, “Only students’ above Class IX have been asked to participate.”

It has been learnt that teachers and students were asked to get likes and comments from neighbours, shopkeepers and villagers.

In fact, a Congress MLA also liked activities page of the Education Department on FB to increase the number of likes.

Meanwhile, Vikram Dev, state president, Democratic Teachers Front, said, “Ahead of the Assembly elections, the government is using the Education Department as an IT cell to gain political benefits. It is shameful to use teachers and students for non-academic work, which is unproductive. We teach students that respect is commanded and not demanded. However, the step, seemingly, is the antithesis of this saying.”

Dev further added that directions were against the sole idea of freedom in social media.