Ludhiana: Tech issues and inauguration events burden teachers amid enrolment season

While the Punjab government’s “Sikhya Kranti” campaign continues to gain momentum, a critical aspect of the academic cycle—student enrolment—appears to be suffering. Government school teachers have expressed concern that, despite being in a pivotal period for admissions, the process has been significantly disrupted.

Traditionally, teachers actively engage in door-to-door outreach to encourage enrolment, a task that becomes even more urgent as schools are assigned specific enrolment targets by the administration. However, with the current focus of educators have shifted towards preparations for inauguration ceremonies related to infrastructural developments under the Sikhya Kranti initiative, teachers find themselves overwhelmed with administrative duties. As a result, they are unable to dedicate time and resources to student outreach.

Charanjeet Kaur Ahuja, principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, highlighted the mounting frustration among staff. “Technical glitches in the e-portal system have added to our challenges. Previously, the online platform’s ‘fetch’ option made enrolment smoother and quicker, but now it’s not functioning. At a time when we need it the most, we’re left without a vital tool,” she said. Ahuja also noted that a significant number of students are awaiting admission, making the situation even more urgent.

Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, state finance secretary of the Lecturer Cadre Union, pointed to another factor affecting the enrolment process. “Teachers have been occupied with preparations for inaugurations, which has clearly impacted enrolments. However, unlike earlier times when teachers were pressured to meet unrealistic targets leading to bogus admissions, this time they are being more careful.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers’ Union (GTU), criticised the timing of the official events. “We are in peak enrolment season, and holding inaugurations right now is a mistake. Later, when targets aren’t met, the blame will fall on teachers,” he warned.

Amid the growing concerns, Vishal Kumar, MIS coordinator, offered a bit of reassurance. “An alternative method has been provided for student registration on the e-portal. Teachers facing problems can also reach out to the MIS Wing for support,” he said.

Meanwhile, district education officer (elementary), Ravinder Kaur, announced that a mega enrolment campaign will be launched on Friday with an ambitious target of enrolling 10,000 children in a single day across the district.