‘50 more families followed, that’s how chain reaction starts’

“If we won’t admit our own children in government schools, how can we convince the people to do that?

Meet Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana, the only MLA with school-going children in Punjab who seems to have placed faith in “Sikhya Kranti” — the “education revolution” promised by the state government run by his own party AAP.

According to an investigation byThe Indian Express, Maiserkhana, an agriculturist from the rural constituency of Maur in Bathinda, is the lone legislator from 36 in the state Assembly with school-going children whose kids studied in government schools in the 2025-26 academic session.

Maiserkhana and his wife Shapinder Kaur have two children: a 12-year-old boy, who is a Class 7 student at the government-run School of Eminence in Ram Nagar, near Maur; and, a nine-year-old daughter, who is a Class 4 student at the Government Primary School (GPS) in Maiserkhana village.

Both the institutions showcase key education initiatives of the AAP government in Punjab.

The School of Eminence, one among the envisaged 117 such institutions, offers better infrastructure, modern labs, smart classrooms, sports facilities, career guidance, leadership development and structured academic support for competitive exams like JEE and NEET.

The Maiserkhana GPS has been labelled as a School of Happiness, an initiative that is part of the state government’s push to adopt a teaching model that stresses on play-based learning and student well-being in primary education.

Speaking to TheIndian Express, Maiserkhana said the decision to enrol his children in government schools was taken to keep them connected to their community and mother tongue, and to build public confidence among the people in such institutions.

The first-time MLA said he and his wife attend the Parent Teacher Meetings (PTM) at their children’s schools “just like hundreds of other parents”.

“During Covid, I shifted my son from a local convent to the government primary school in my village Maiserkhana, where we live.

This was even before I became an MLA.

We took this decision because during the pandemic, the children were sitting at home and the convent school was still charging heavy fees.

During that period, the admission drive in the government school was in full swing and teachers were working hard to increase enrollment,” Maiserkhana said.

Later, he admitted his daughter directly to the government primary school even as his son moved to the School of Eminence in Ram Nagar for higher classes.

“He now takes a yellow bus to school, just like private schools,” he said.

“Both my children are now closer to their community, play with local kids, and most importantly, are also closer to their mother tongue, Punjabi — and are learning the language well.

Education doesn’t just mean syllabus and marksheets but also how a child interacts and grows within the local community… My entire family, including me, my father and my siblings, has studied in government schools.

Staying connected to the roots always helps a child,” he said.

More importantly, Maiserkhana said, “After I enrolled my own children, at least 50 more families in the area started sending their children to government schools, saying, ‘The MLA’s own kids study there’.

This is how it can become a chain reaction in society.

If the children of MLAs, officers and other stakeholders attend government schools, only then can we focus better on the quality of education and infrastructure in government schools because our own children will be involved.”
Maiserkhana was elected MLA for the first time in 2022, riding the AAP wave to defeat Akali heavyweight Jagmeet Singh Brar and Independent candidate Lakha Sidana who was backed by farmer unions.

AAP leader Raghav Chadha, who was then the party’s Punjab in-charge, had campaigned extensively for him.

Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab).

She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region.

Professional Profile
Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012.

She previously worked with Hindustan Times.

Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi.

Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition.

She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Awards and Recognition
Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities:
Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts.

Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab.

Signature Style
Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime.

Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles.

X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_...

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