Amid pandemic, over 2 lakh students enrol in Punjab govt schools

Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 16

In a major shift, government schools in Punjab have witnessed more than 2.10 lakh new admissions this year. A majority of these students have come from private schools.

There is no denying the fact that one of the reasons for this shift is the closure of many private schools. However, also visible is the impact of initiatives introduced under the ‘Padho Punjab Padhao Punjab’ campaign for the past three years. The biggest change, this year, has been that a large number of teachers have also shifted their wards to government schools all over the state. In fact, Deputy DEO, Bathinda, Kapil Sharma has also shifted his son to a government school from a private one.

The total number of students in government schools in 2019-2020 was 23.52 lakh while it has grown to 25.62 lakh in the current session. The total enrolment in pre-primary classes has increased from 2.25 lakh to 2.95 lakh; from 3.91 lakh to 4.13 in Classes IX and X; and from 3.12 lakh to 3.69 lakh in Classes XI and XII. The biggest increase of 69 per cent has been witnessed in the pre-primary classes of Mohali district. The strength has increased from 8,816 to 14,906.

Talking to The Tribune, Secretary, Education, Krishan Kumar, said, “Latest information suggests that the numbers are still growing in government schools. One of the biggest reasons is our team adapting to challenges posed by Covid.”

In order to facilitate the student movement to government schools, students are not required to get ‘school leaving certificates’. A senior official said, “Students can just walk in and enrol on the department portal. The school leaving certificates can be submitted later.”

At the same time, teachers are complaining that they are being forced by their departments to increase the enrolment. Teachers in Sangrur said they had only verbal orders and nothing in writing.