Ludhiana: ‘Publicity over education’: Teachers, oppn question CM’s pic on school bags

Officials said around 23,000 bags have reached Ludhiana district. Of these, nearly 18,000 have already been dispatched to different blocks for distribution among students

The distribution of school bags for Class 11 and 12 students in government schools has begun across districts, but the initiative has drawn criticism from teachers and opposition leaders who accused the state government of turning an educational initiative into a publicity exercise by printing the chief minister’s photograph on the bags.

School bags for Govt school students in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

According to a letter issued by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on July 17 to the director of school education, the bags were prepared on the directions of the Punjab government and made available at the PSEB regional centres for further distribution to schools. In another communication dated July 20, the directorate of school education instructed the district education officers to ensure that the bags reach students this week.

Officials said around 23,000 bags have reached Ludhiana district. Of these, nearly 18,000 have already been dispatched to different blocks for distribution among students.

The move, however, has drawn criticism from teachers’ organisations and opposition parties. Democratic Teachers’ Front district president Daljit Singh Samrala questioned the government’s priority, saying students from Class 6 onwards require school bags more because they carry more books and notebooks than senior secondary students. He alleged that the bags carrying the chief minister’s photograph reflected a political motive rather than concern for education.

Sanjay Talwar, district president of the Congress, also criticised the initiative, saying the government should first fill vacant posts of teachers and principals instead of spending on publicity. Shiromani Akali Dal senior leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal said printing of the chief minister’s photograph on school bags and other educational material reflected the government’s focus on self-promotion rather than improving school infrastructure. “This shows how desperate they are,” he added.

However, school education secretary Sonali Giri said there was no political motive behind the design. She said the committee responsible for finalising the bags selected this design from several available options. On extending the scheme to other classes, she said the department was examining budget provisions and that new schemes were generally introduced first for senior classes before being expanded further.