Over 50 government schools in Punjab, including primary and secondary schools, have been renamed after an order was issued by School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. These schools were previously named based on caste and fraternity.
The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party greeted the government's decision on Friday, December 30. "A New Era of Education System has dawned upon Punjab. Fifty-six govt schools with caste tag renamed by AAP Govt in Punjab," read a tweet from the unit, as per a report by PTI
The renaming exercise was carried out by the state's School Education Department. The schools were given new names based on the village they are located in, a well-known individual, a martyr, or a local hero. The Department has also requested a report from all District Education Officers and the Elementary Education Department regarding schools with caste-based names operating within their jurisdiction.
The renamed schools are located in various districts across the state, including Patiala (12 schools), Mansa (7 schools), Nawanshahr (6 schools), Sangrur (4 schools), Gurdaspur (4 schools), Fatehgarh Sahib (3 schools), Bathinda (3 schools), Barnala (3 schools), and Muktsar (3 schools). It is worth noting that the order by Bains was issued on December 1, but did not go into effect until December 26.
"Several cases regarding the names of government schools in the state have come to notice for being associated with a caste, which makes them feel uncivilised in the present era and at the same time promotes caste segregation in the society," Bains said in a statement. He added that all the students were being given equal education in government schools of Punjab. Therefore, the names of the schools could not be related to class or caste.
The Education Minister also stated that Punjab is the land of gurus, saints and great prophets who have taught humanity to stay away from casteism and all kinds of discrimination. "In today's era, these names have a profound effect on the tender minds of students and sometimes many parents also refrain from enrolling their children in government schools because of these names," he said, as per PTI.
