Irrational rationalisation of education is catastrophic dangerous

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday stated that Punjab Education Department’s new rationalization policy would play havoc with over two lakh students studying in government middle schools marinating that they would be deprived of Punjabi as well as Hindi teachers.

Lambasting the “irrational” rationalization, former education minister and SAD leader Daljeet Singh Cheema averred that this “dictatorial” order issued by the education department would be a severe blow to teaching of mother tongue Punjabi as well as to our national language Hindi.

“Moreover, these schools are spread over the remote far flung villages, especially in border area, and dotted on difficult terrain in the entire state,” he said.

Cheema pointed that under the rationalization, the strength of each such school is slashed from six to four and henceforth only one teacher would teach both Hindi and Punjabi language while another would give lessons in arts and craft and also act as Physical Training Instructor (PTI).

Urging the Punjab Government to have a relook at the rationalization policy announced on August 25, Cheema said that the policy has been framed without application of mind as it would further deprive and discriminate the poor, hapless and underprivileged students of the middle schools. The policy would adversely affect 2,21,000 students studying in over 2,500 middle schools, 90 percent of these are in rural areas, he said.

“How can a Punjabi teacher teach Hindi when he has studied Hindi up to matriculation only and it was not even compulsory to pass in the subject,” pointed out Cheema saying that there would be Punjabi teacher who have no expertise to teach Hindi or vice versa,” he said.