Punjab Government’s decision and thanks-giving moves by the Punjabi ‘loving’ sections of the society to implement Punjabi in the state schools, irrespective to any board, as a compulsory subject from the session in the offing is an outcome of narrow-mindedness. It will serve no purpose. It seems more a political agenda than an education policy decision. Before going for such policy decisions which may affects the future of the coming generations, a panel of educationists, students and career counselors should be consulted to know its after-and-side-affects. Here I refer Dr H K Manmohan Singh’s article in the recent past in a newspaper on mushrooming of private universities, he wrote, the education policy decisions are generally taken by the politicians and bureaucrats who both have no academic expertise on the subject. That is why the education related decisions should be advised by the academia and the social scientists. Promoting Punjabi language is definitely a welcome move. But the way the Punjab government wants to implement it is full of pitfalls.

One, the education cost which is already very high will increase further. Ultimately it will dent the parents’ pocket. The private schools which have already become the business shops will have one more reason to hike the fee. Many schools will hire pseudo or perfunctory teachers just to show the vacancies filled. And the students will the losers ultimately.

Two, the students who are already under heavy stress of home-work will be pressurized to read one more subject which will be of no use in carving a career in an English savvy world. The students will have little interest in learning Punjabi, as they already know that it will not serve any purpose in shaping their career.

Three, as the Punjabi university has already stooped offering Hindi as a medium of instruction for B.Ed students, the other universities will also join the move. It will be against the national interest. Since Hindi is our national language. How can a university deprive the student of their fundamental rights?

If they stopped conducting examinations in Hindi language, then they should also stop teaching English and other languages and promote Punjabi only. It will make the students regional rather than globally accepted professionals.

Forth, as Dr Upinderjit Kaur, the Education Minister is bent upon rendering the computer science and other science subjects into Punjabi, I am afraid to say that she is impractical here. How one can teach and understand chemistry, computer science and other English savvy subjects in Punjabi medium. The rural students, who are schooled in Punjabi medium, face a lot of problem as they move to the college for studying medical and non-medical streams. The decision of making Punjabi as a compulsory subject will make the problem deeper. Since the majority of the rural students fight shy of English.

It has some legal implications also. So the Punjab government should not hurry in implementing the decision which needs a proper discussion by the academia.

The end