56 government schools with caste tag renamed by Punjab government

CHANDIGARH: Fifty-six government schools with caste tag have been renamed by the Punjab government, weeks after School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains issued an order to rechristen those named on the basis of caste and fraternity.

The School Education department changed the names of 56 government schools, including primary and high schools. The schools have now been renamed after the village they are located in, or a known personality, martyr or a local hero. The department had sought a report from all the district education officers and elementary education department about schools bearing caste-based names running in their jurisdiction.

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The Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit on Friday welcomed the government's move. "A New Era of Education System has dawned upon Punjab. Fifty-six govt schools with caste tag renamed by AAP Govt in Punjab. "The schools have now been renamed either after the village they're located in, or a local hero, martyr or a known personality," said a tweet by the ruling party's state unit.

Among the schools that have been renamed include 12 in Patiala district, seven in Mansa, six in Nawanshahr and four each in Sangrur and Gurdaspur and three each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Bathinda, Barnala and Muktsar. On December 1, Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains had issued an order to rechristen state's all government schools named on the basis of caste and fraternity. However, an order to this effect was issued on December 26.

In a statement here, Bains had said, "Several cases have come to the notice regarding the names of many government schools in the state being associated with a caste, which makes them feel uncivilised in the present era and at the same time promote caste segregation in the society."

He said all students were being given equal education on the basis of equality in government schools of Punjab under which the names of government schools could not be related to class or caste. The education minister had also said 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.