SAD condemns 150 percent hike in course books of affiliated and associated schools
Punjab School News: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday condemned the 150 percent hike in course books of all affiliated and associated schools of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) and demanded the hike be withdrawn immediately.
Former Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said in a statement that it was shameful that the Congress government, which had promised to provide free education till Ph.D. for all students, had announced a 150 percent hike for school books for nearly twenty lakh students in Punjab.
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Stating that the move exposed the utter insensitivity of the government, Daljit Cheema said the economy of the State was already stressed due to Covid.
"Parents are finding it difficult to pay the fee of their wards. In such a situation the government has decided to go for this steep hike," he said.
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The SAD leader said school parents were expecting some relief in the form of a special package to subsidize the cost of education in privately affiliated as well as associated schools.
“Instead of doing this, the government has put a further burden on the common man. Education cannot be run in this manner in a welfare State. The State cannot commercialize education. In case the government does not withdraw this hike, the SAD will assist parents in securing justice against this retrograde step,” he added.
Cheema also castigated the Congress government for not making necessary allocations to the education sector. “All Colleges, Universities, and Chairs announced for the State continue to exist only on paper. What can we expect from a government which wants to profit from selling school books at inflated rates”, he said.
-PTC News
