After the state government launched the ‘Sikhiya Kranti’ initiative recently, leaders from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are on an “inauguration” spree in government schools.
The Education Department trying hard to showcase the achievements of the government ever since the campaign has been kicked off. While AAP leaders are inaugurating new rooms, toilets, kitchens, etc, teachers and principals in many government schools lament that during this entire exercise the student enrolment process has taken a “backseat”.
Neither the teachers nor principals are willing to come on record on the issue for obvious reasons. However, they feel that after the exam results were declared on March 31, the focus should have been on the admission of students, but the schools are busy welcoming VIPs for the inauguration of the renovated areas.
A principal at Government Senior Secondary School here maintained that since April 1 the schools were busy preparing for the VIP visits. “We cannot take risk and everything has to be perfect. The renovated areas, toilets, etc are being inaugurated. We did not get the time to talk to parents to clear their doubts or provide suggestions to them. Now, many students have opted for other schools and some have gone to their native places after the results were declared. We are trying to call them back,” said the principal.
A teacher said once the “Sikhiya Kranti” campaign was over, the entire focus of the department would be on the enrolment process.
“They will not accept any argument and we will be asked to show improvement in enrolments. Presently, we are busy with the Sikhiya Kranti drive and are not able to focus on admitting new students. After the campaign will end, the department would ask us to show the enrolment register to see if we had met the target,” said a teacher of a Government Primary School in Mangat block.
Will focus on enrolment: DEO
DEO (Elementary) Ravinder Kaur said there were about 1,000 schools in the district and new facilities were being inaugurated under the Sikhiya Kranti drive in 10-15 schools on a daily basis. “We have to prioritise the task at hand rather than cribbing. We will focus on enrolments in coming days,” she added.
