Mayor Bill de Blasio insisted Monday that schoolchildren shouldn’t be “political pawns” in the battle over mayoral control of New York City’s education system — while standing next to a bunch of ​school​kids wearing backpacks.

​As de Blasio was speaking​ in the City Hall rotunda​, the ​children from the Bronx Academy of Letters began to form behind and to the side of him, some of whom were holding signs saying , “PASS MAYORAL CONTROL.”

“One thing I hear all the time​ …,​” he began to say, and then turned around and ​​noticed one boy behind him. ​​

“Come on over here. You too — come on. This is the issue. Here’s what I hear all the time: We don’t want our children treated as political pawns. We want them given the education they deserve.”​​​

Hizzoner even complimented one of the children for applauding his remarks.

“You’re fired up. I like that,” he said.

Principals-union President Ernie Logan — who stood with the kids — initially admitted inviting them, then claimed, “They just came in.”