Move to expand school management panels draws criticism

The Punjab Cabinet’s decision to expand management committees of state-run schools by inducting more members has drawn the ire of educationists and politicians, who allege that it aims at increasing political interference by including ruling AAP leaders in the panels.

The Punjab Cabinet had on March 21 approved an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, to increase parental participation in the management of government schools to improve the quality of education.

The decision is being linked with senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia being made Punjab in charge and him being assigned special focus on education.

Through the amendment, the number of members on each school management committee will be increased from 12 to 16.

Each panel will have 12 members representing parents of students and four from fields such as education, sports, and extracurricular activities. The four new members will include a representative of the area MLA and the respective urban local body member.

However, Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) president Vikram Dev said the amendment would allow backdoor entry of AAP workers in school management committees that are involved in utilising various grants released by the Education Department.

The DTF said it was a direct political interference in the functioning of schools.

“There is already a representative of the parents, a teacher, and an education specialist in every management committee. The new amendment would increase interference of politicians with the ruling party,” the DTF said in a statement.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Raja Warring too said such decisions are being made at the behest of the AAP Delhi leaders, who are “already meddling” in the functioning on government schools.

“When there was already a panchayat member in every school management committee, then there was no need to increase the number of members,” he added.

Former Punjab Education Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the school management committees are for the smooth functioning of the institutions. “There is no need to politicise the committees,” he added.