Education
Punjab schools in trouble for ditching ‘weak students’ ahead of Board exams
Students are being forced to appear as private candidates
To showcase good results for Class 10 and 12 board exams, private and government-aided schools affiliated to the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) have been allegedly striking off the names of the ‘weak students’ from their records, forcing them to appear in board classes as private candidates.
“The matter has been reported to us from various districts across the state and we have taken a meeting of District Education Officers (DEOs) in which this matter was discussed and they were asked to keep a vigil on such schools,” said Secretary, Education, Punjab, Krishan Kumar.
He added that apart from these, teams have been formed which will check the records of all private and government aided schools, which are affiliated with the PSEB, to check the school records.
Ashok Kumar, a parent from Jalandhar Cantt, said: “My son has been studying in a private school in Jalandhar form nursery and now the school authorities are forcing us to make him appear in Class 10 boards as a private candidate because he is weak in studies.” He claimed that there were over 10 more students from the same school who had been asked to appear as private candidates.
Pawan Kumar, Assistant Director Education Department, said that no school will be allowed to play with the future of students as they were well within their rights to appear as regular students once they had been enrolled.
“If any tampering is found in schools record, including the striking off of names of the students then immediate action would be taken against such schools. A control room is being set up at the Board office in Mohali where aggrieved students and their parents can inform through phone, WhatsApp and email to the board so that immediate and timely action can be taken,” he said.
Picture Courtesy: hindustantimes