LUCKNOW: The Yogi government has announced a major decision regarding school mergers in Uttar Pradesh. In a move aimed at reassuring parents and teachers, the government has declared that schools situated more than one kilometer from another and with a student strength of over 50 will no longer be merged.
This policy reversal was announced by State Minister of Basic Education, Sandeep Singh, during a press conference on Thursday. He stated that any pairing or merger that has already occurred contrary to these new standards will be canceled. This process is expected to be completed within one week.
Minister Singh defended the government’s education policy, claiming significant improvements in primary education since 2017. He accused previous administrations of neglecting the sector and criticized opposition parties for spreading misinformation and rumors about the school pairing process.
Addressing concerns about job security, he assured that not a single teaching post would be eliminated. “All sanctioned teaching posts will be preserved at any cost. We want to provide quality education to every child,” he said, adding that no schools will be permanently closed. Instead, schools that become vacant due to low student numbers will be utilized for pre-primary education as “Bal Vatika.”
The minister highlighted the government’s commitment to the National Education Policy, noting a substantial increase in student enrollment. “In the current year alone, 27.53 lakh new students have been enrolled,” he stated.
He also mentioned that a teacher adjustment process has been successfully completed, with 20,182 teachers being transferred with their consent. Parents facing issues with the pairing process can register their complaints at a special cell set up in their district’s BSA office, with a promise of resolution within a week.
Singh concluded by reiterating that the decision to merge schools was made in the best interest of students and the state. He confirmed that new teacher recruitment would not be stopped and that necessary hiring would be done soon to meet the required student-teacher ratio.
