Minister raises concern over uneven school participation
Siliguri: West Bengal Tourism Minister and Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh on Saturday flagged a worrying trend in some local schools where pupils from selected classes were apparently invited to take part in Independence Day programmes while students in other classes were reportedly given a holiday. The minister said the practice could send the wrong message on an occasion of national significance and indicated that complaints would be filed with the relevant authorities.
Addressing a press conference in Siliguri on 15 August, Ghosh said the matter had come to his notice and that he would take it up with education and district officials if necessary. He warned that action could be taken against the schools concerned should investigations confirm selective participation.
"Students learn various values and lessons from educational institutions from an early age," Ghosh said.
Officials may be asked to investigate; education norms cited
The minister emphasised that national occasions such as Independence Day are opportunities to reinforce values of equality, patriotism and civic responsibility across the student body. According to the statement reported from the press conference, Ghosh said educational institutions should ensure that all students receive the same message on such occasions and that the practice of restricting participation by class should not continue.
- Ghosh said complaints will be lodged with the concerned authorities.
- He indicated schools could face action if investigations confirm selective invitation practices.
- The minister stressed the pedagogic role of schools in instilling national values from an early age.
Local context and likely administrative follow-up
In Siliguri, where schools often stage elaborate Independence Day programmes involving flag hoisting, cultural presentations and student assemblies, selective invitations can create perceptions of favouritism and exclusion among parents and pupils. The minister's intervention signals a likelihood of closer scrutiny by district education officials and the municipal education machinery.
While the press conference announcement did not list the names of specific schools, Ghosh's comments make clear that any formal complaints lodged will be routed through the usual administrative channels. Education officers and school management committees maintain responsibility for ensuring that statutory observances in schools comply with guidelines issued by the state and central educational authorities.
Reaction and implications for schools
Primary and secondary schools in the city commonly rotate participation across classes for events, partly for logistical reasons such as time and space constraints. However, selective inclusion combined with granting a holiday to non-participating classes on a national day can be perceived as diminishing the commemorative value for those absent.
| Issue raised | Possible administrative response |
|---|---|
| Selective invitation of students for Independence Day programmes | Complaints lodged; investigation by education authorities; corrective directives |
| Non-participating classes given a holiday | Guidance to schools to ensure inclusive observance; potential penal action if rules breached |
Ghosh urged school authorities to avoid practices that could convey unequal messaging on days of national importance. His statement underlines the political sensitivity of civic ceremonies in West Bengal, where public commemorations often carry both cultural and pedagogic weight.
As the city moves on from the 80th Independence Day observances, attention will shift to whether local education officials receive and act on the complaints the minister announced. Any formal inquiries and subsequent directives will be watched closely by parents, teachers and school managements across Siliguri.
The minister's intervention reasserts the expectation that schools in Siliguri and elsewhere should use national days to foster a shared civic spirit among all pupils, not only selected groups.
