Punjab Government would soon ask private schools across the State to resume teaching Punjabi as a language in their schools.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked State Education and language Minister Sikander Singh Maluka to “immediately” issue directions to all the private schools in the State. Badal also asked the Minister to put in plain words to these institutions that strict action would be initiated against erring schools in case of non-compliance of these directions.
The decision came following a delegation of Punjab Jagriti Manch led by Satnam Singh Manak submitted a memorandum with the Chief Minister demanding the same. The delegation informed the Chief Minister that some of the private schools in the state have banned the use of Punjabi not only for speaking, but also for teaching purposes. Maintaining that the children of the State were being denied teaching of their mother-tongue, the delegation sought Chief Minister’s intervention.
Taking serious cognisance of the issue, the CM ordered to lift the ban on speaking and teaching Punjabi, which many private school organisations have imposed in their schools. Some of the privately-managed schools across Punjab were not implementing Punjabi language as a compulsory subject from Class I to Class X under the Punjab, Punjabi and learning of Other languages Act, 2008.
Besides, the schools were also found flouting the Punjabi language Act, 2008, by avoiding the use of Punjabi in their official work. Punjab Government had already promulgated the two legislations to ensure proper implementation of Punjabi in all the offices of Punjab government, boards, corporations, subordinate courts and educational institutes in the State.
“In order to inspect the Government offices and educational institutes, the State level and District level Empowered Committees have already been constituted to ensure proper use of Punjabi as an official language at all levels,” added the State Government official. The official added that in 2011 also, the Mohali District Punjabi language Committee has asked all English-medium private schools in the district to add Punjabi as a subject in their curriculum, while making it clear that violating the decisions may calls for strict action.