CHANDIGARH: On Thursday, Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains issued an order renaming all government schools in the state that had been given names based on caste and brotherhood. “Several incidents have come to our attention regarding the names of several government schools in the state being affiliated with a caste, which makes people feel uncivilised in the present day and at the same time encourage caste segregation in the society,” Mr. Bains said in a statement today.
According to him, all pupils in Punjab’s public schools receive an equal education based on equality, and the names of these institutions cannot be linked to caste or class. According to the education minister, casteism and other forms of prejudice should be avoided because they were taught by great prophets, saints, and gurus in Punjab.
He claimed that in the present day, “these names have a tremendous impact on the impressionable minds of the youngsters and, at times, many parents refrain from enrolling their children in government schools because of these names.” In this regard, a report regarding the various caste-based schools operating in each district’s jurisdiction has been requested from the elementary education department and all district education officers.
