Teachers Protest School Closures in Uttar Pradesh

 

In Uttar Pradesh, many teachers have gone to the High Court to stop the government from closing primary schools with fewer students. These schools are called "Prasiddh Vidyalayas" and are known in villages for giving free education to poor children. The teachers say the government does not want poor children to study. They feel the government now sees the education of poor children as a burden.

Teacher Himanshu Rana, who is leading the protest, says the decision to close schools is very dangerous. He says children aged 6 to 14 years will lose their right to free and basic education. This is against their fundamental rights given by the Constitution.

According to the new order, about 27,000 schools will be closed or merged across the state. This is a very big number. These schools are in villages where most children come from poor families. Many of them walk to school because it is nearby. If their school closes, they may have to walk very far or even stop going to school.

The Education Department and Village Development Department are asking school committees to agree to the closure. They are trying very hard to get signatures. Even the District Magistrate is getting involved. But many Village Heads, BDC members, and School Management Committee chairpersons are against the plan.

These leaders say this is not the right time. Panchayat elections are coming, and people are angry. If schools close now, it will hurt children and the village’s trust in the government.

The teachers also say that for many years, the government took money in the name of improving education. They talked about innovation, smart classrooms, better quality learning, and so on. But now, instead of making schools better, they are just closing them.

Himanshu Rana says closing schools is like giving up. He says, “If a part of the body becomes weak, we treat it. We don’t declare the whole person dead and start preparing for last rites.” He compares the school to a human body. Even if the student number is low, the solution is not to shut down the school. The solution is to improve it.

He says that instead of helping government schools, officers encouraged the opening of private schools. These schools charged money and slowly took away students. That is why the number of students in government schools went down. If the government had fixed problems like a lack of books, teachers, toilets, clean water, and proper classrooms, children would have stayed.

But now, instead of fixing the problems, the government is saying the school has fewer children and should be closed. Himanshu Rana and his group say this is not fair. It is not the fault of the children. It is not the fault of the parents. It is not the fault of the school. It is the fault of the system that didn’t support these schools.

Now the Education Department wants to merge schools. That means two or more small schools will be joined into one. But this will create many problems. Children will have to travel far. Some may not go to school at all. Teachers will have more students than they can handle. And the bond between the school and the village will be broken.

Many school buildings will be locked and unused. They may get damaged or misused. In many villages, schools are not just for education. They are also used as community centers during elections, health camps, and meetings. Closing them will hurt the entire community.

The Village Management Committees (VMCs), which are made up of local parents and leaders, are strongly opposing the move. They are saying that their voice was not heard before the decision. Many say that government officers are forcing them to sign the merger form. But they don’t want their village school to close.

Some teachers say the government is only looking at numbers. If there are fewer students, they say the school is not needed. But teachers ask – is this fair? Can education be counted only in numbers? What about the dreams of the poor children? What about their right to sit in a class, read a book, and learn something new every day?

Himanshu Rana and his team, known as the "Shiksha Sangharsh Morcha," are now trying to stop this policy. They are visiting schools, talking to people, and spreading awareness. They say that every child has the right to study. And every village has the right to have its school.

They believe that if proper steps are taken, student numbers can increase again. They suggest that schools should be given better classrooms, sports facilities, computer labs, trained teachers, and good mid-day meals. If children feel happy and safe in school, they will come back.

Many people in the village say that their children are too young to go far. If their school is merged and moved, they will not send their daughters. This may cause a big drop in girls’ education. That is another reason why the school merger plan is being criticized.

Parents say education is not just about books. It is also about care, trust, and connection. In small village schools, teachers know every student. They know their homes, their problems, and their strengths. This bond is lost in big schools.

The protest is getting stronger every day. Teachers are writing to the Chief Minister. They are using social media. They are going to court. They are doing everything they can to save the schools.

In court, the teachers are saying that this decision breaks the Right to Education Act. This law says that every child has the right to free education near their home. If the school is closed, this right will be taken away.

Education experts also agree that instead of closing schools, the government should work on fixing the problems. A school is not just about numbers. It is about hope. It is about the future. It is about giving every child a chance to dream.

Now the people are waiting to see what the High Court will say. Till then, teachers like Himanshu Rana and groups like Shiksha Sangharsh Morcha are standing strong. They are fighting not just for buildings, but for the future of poor children across the state.

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UP Teachers Say No to School Merger

The Uttar Pradesh Junior High School Teachers Association has started a peaceful protest against the school merger policy in the state. The government is trying to merge small primary and junior schools in different villages. But the teachers say this is not right. It will harm the future of poor children in villages. It will also create problems for teachers. The association has said that they will start a peaceful movement. They will not accept the wrong policy of merging schools. They said that giving free or low-cost education is not just a rule, it is a moral duty of the government.

In many villages, the nearest school is now being placed 2 or 3 kilometers away. The children who earlier walked a few minutes to school now have to walk long distances. This is particularly challenging for young children, especially girls. It is also unsafe. Some children may stop going to school. If they drop out, who will be responsible? The government should think about these problems before making such big changes. The teachers say that the merger system should stop immediately. Every village must have its school like before.

When schools are far away, small children may not attend regularly. Poor parents cannot send them by bus or car. They also cannot take them daily. Many children will miss school or leave it altogether. This is against the Right to Education law, which says that children should get primary education close to home. If the school is too far, it becomes hard to follow this law.

The teachers are not against improving education. They want better schools, too. But instead of closing village schools, the government should improve them. They should give more teachers, books, furniture, clean toilets, and drinking water. If schools become better, more children will come. But if schools are closed and children are sent far away, education will stop for many. This is not a smart step. It is a harmful step for village children.

The teacher union is also worried that this school merger is just a way to reduce teachers. When two schools are joined, one teacher post may be removed. This is unfair. Many teachers are working with a full heart. They love teaching. They want to serve children. But now they are scared for their jobs. Shiksha Mitras and part-time teachers are very tense. They do not know what will happen next.

Many villagers are also sad and angry. They say the school in the village is not just a building. It is the heart of the village. It is a place of learning, playing, and growing. When children go to a school in their village, parents are happy and feel safe. But now, when schools are merged and children are sent far away, parents feel helpless. Girl children may stop going to school. Parents may not allow them to walk 2–3 km daily. There are also safety issues and transport problems.

The teacher association wants to save education in villages. They want to meet leaders, MLAs, MPs, and ministers. They want to explain the problem in simple words. They want to request that the government take back this policy. They are saying: please let the schools run like before. Please help teachers and children. Please save the future of rural India.

Education experts also say that this kind of one-size-fits-all system is not good. Every village is different. Some villages have good roads. Others do not. Some areas are near forests or rivers. In such places, children walking 3 kilometers is not safe. The government should talk to teachers and parents before making big decisions. Teachers are the backbone of schools. If teachers are not respected, then education cannot be strong.

The Right to Education (RTE) rule says that children in classes 1 to 5 should not travel more than 1 km. For Classes 6 to 8, it should not be more than 3 km. But even this is too far for small kids, especially in rural areas. When a child walks long distances daily, they get tired. Their health and studies suffer. The merger system is not helping students. It is pushing them away from schools.

The protest by the teachers is peaceful. They are not shouting or going on strike. They are just explaining their point. They are ready to sit for peaceful dharnas and send letters. They want to talk to the government with respect. But they also say that if the policy is not changed, they will continue their protest. They are ready for a long movement if needed.

Their message is clear. Let every village have its school. Stop merging schools. Keep education near homes. Help children learn happily and safely. Do not make them walk for kilometers. Respect the role of teachers. Listen to their voice. Only then will real education grow.

This protest is not only for teachers. It is for every child who dreams of studying. It is for every parent who wants their child to learn. It is for every village that wants a better future. The government must listen. The school merger plan must stop. Village schools must work as before. Then only can we say that we care for education.

The teachers are standing together. They say: We will not let basic education die. We will protect children’s right to learn. We will save village schools. We will walk the path of peace, but we will not be silent. The government must act now. Education is not a favour. It is a right. And that right must be protected. Always.

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Why Merging Government Primary Schools Is a Threat to Children's Education

 

The Basic Education Department has started merging government primary schools where there are fewer students. A new rule says that if a school has fewer than 25 children, it should be closed and those students should be sent to a nearby school. This work has been given to all the District Basic Education Officers in the state. The reason behind this step is to reduce the number of schools and manage them better. But this step is creating many serious problems, especially for small children, poor families, and villages.

The biggest issue in this plan is that it goes against the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The RTE Act was passed in 2009. It says that education is a basic right of every child between 6 to 14 years of age. It also says that there should be a school in every village, and no child should have to travel too far to go to school. This Act was not just about making numbers look good. It was a promise made by the government to give every child an equal chance to study and grow.

Instead of fulfilling this promise, the government is now saying that there are too many schools and not enough teachers. So, they want to merge schools to use teachers better. But this is not the real problem. The real problem is that the government has not appointed enough teachers. Many schools have only one or two teachers who are forced to handle all the classes. On top of that, teachers are regularly called for other government work like election duty, making ration cards, doing health surveys, vaccination work, and so on. These jobs take them away from teaching. If the teachers are always busy with other duties, how can they focus on children?

Now, instead of solving this issue, the government is choosing the easy way—by closing the schools. But this is not a solution. This is hiding the problem. Closing schools or merging them will directly hurt children. Right now, many children can reach their village school in just 500 meters or 1 kilometer. But after the merger, they may have to walk 3 to 4 kilometers. The roads are not always safe. There may be forests, rivers, highways, or even wild animals in some areas. This will make it very hard for small children to go to school, especially for girls. Their parents may stop sending them because of safety and distance.

We should remember that a school is not just a place to study. It is a place where children learn about their language, culture, society, and values. A village school is close to the people. Teachers know the families, and there is a strong bond between school and society. When a child learns in their village, in their language, with known people, they feel safe and confident. But when schools are closed or merged, this connection breaks. Education becomes distant and difficult. Children feel lost in a new place.

This policy will hit poor children the most. Rich families can send their children to private schools with transport facilities. But poor families depend on government schools. If the school moves far away, they have no option. Many children may drop out. Girls may be kept at home. Child labor may increase. This will push poor children further back and increase inequality.

Instead of closing schools, the government should focus on improving them. There should be one teacher for each class. There should be enough rooms, toilets, drinking water, playgrounds, and teaching material. Teachers should be trained properly and given permanent jobs. Most importantly, they should be freed from non-teaching work. Only then can they focus fully on their real job—teaching.

We must ask: if there are not enough teachers, why is the government not hiring more? Why are trained and eligible youth not being given jobs as teachers? Why are existing teachers being burdened with non-educational work? Why is the solution always to reduce schools, not to improve them?

The truth is that this decision to merge schools shows that the government has failed to provide proper teachers and facilities in the last 15 years. Now, instead of accepting its failure and correcting it, the government is trying to shift the blame. It wants to cover up its mistakes by reducing the number of schools.

But this is not just a policy issue. It is about the future of lakhs of children. Education is not a favor—it is a right. And the first step of that right is to have a school in the village. If we remove that school, we remove the child’s first step towards learning, confidence, and citizenship.

Merging schools may save some money. It may look good on paper. But it will damage the roots of our education system. It will separate children from their village, their culture, and their identity. It will make education harder to access. It will increase dropouts and reduce learning. It will harm our democracy, because a child who does not get an education today cannot become a responsible citizen tomorrow.

This is not progress. This is a step backward. And we cannot let this happen. We must all stand up—teachers, parents, students, and every citizen who cares about children. We must say clearly and loudly: if you cannot improve education, do not destroy what we already have. Do not take away the schools that are lifelines of our villages. Do not punish children for the failure of the system.

If there are not enough teachers, appoint more. If teachers are overworked, reduce their non-teaching duties. If schools are weak, strengthen them. But do not shut them down. That is not a solution. That is giving up on our children.

Let us remind ourselves that every child has a dream. That dream begins in a small village school. Let us protect those dreams. Let us protect our schools. Because when we protect schools, we protect the future of our country.

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Government Plan to Merge Schools with Fewer Children for Better Education

The government has made a new plan to improve education in government primary schools. Many government schools have very few children. In some places, only 10 or 20 students go to school. Because of this, teachers and other school resources are not used properly. To solve this problem, the government has decided to pair such schools with nearby schools. This means that children from schools with fewer students will now go to nearby schools where there are more students, more teachers, and better resources. This plan was shared by the Basic Education Department on Monday. According to the plan, the schools with fewer students will not be closed, but they will work together with nearby schools. Both schools will be treated like one unit. This will help in using teachers and classrooms properly and in giving better education to the students. The government says that this step will improve the quality of education and also make better use of money and resources.

The top officer of the Education Department, Mr. Deepak Kumar, has sent this order to all district officers. The officers will collect information about the number of students in each school. They will find out which schools have fewer children and then suggest which nearby schools can be paired with them. The Block Education Officers will visit the schools and prepare a report. The Basic Shiksha Adhikari will take action based on this report. A special help center will also be made in every district to solve any problems that may arise in this process.

The government has also said that the empty school buildings will not be left unused. These buildings will be used as Bal Vatikas. Bal Vatikas are like small play schools for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. One special teacher will be appointed in each Bal Vatika. These schools will have toys, books, games, and other things for small children. These Bal Vatikas will be connected to nearby Anganwadi centers. This idea is also a part of the New Education Policy, which wants children to get a good start before they begin primary school.

The government has not fixed a number for how many students a school must have to be paired. Each district will decide for itself. In Lucknow and Budaun, the rule is for schools with fewer than 50 children. In Mathura, the rule is for schools with fewer than 20 children. The officers in each district are collecting the lists and will decide what to do next.

There are many benefits to this plan. First, classrooms, benches, books, and smart classrooms will be used better. Earlier, in small schools with only a few students, many things were not being used fully. Now all children will get to use the best facilities. Second, the number of teachers in each school will be balanced. There is a rule that 30 children should have 1 teacher, 45 children should have 2 teachers, 60 should have 3, 75 should have 4, and 90 should have 5 teachers. When students from two schools come together, the number of students and teachers can be balanced according to this rule.

Third, students will get a better education. With more teachers, smart classrooms, labs, and other learning materials, they will learn more. The teachers will work together and teach better. They will

share ideas and use new teaching methods. This will help children enjoy school and stay in school. Fourth, children will also learn with more friends. This will help them grow and become more confident.

There is also one big problem with this plan. According to the Right to Education Act, every village should have a school nearby. This law was made in 2009. It says that education is a right of every child. Every child should get a school near their home. If small schools are closed or merged, then some children may have to go far to study. This can create problems, especially for small children, girls, or those living in remote villages. The government must be careful that no child is left behind and no child has to face trouble because of this plan.

In some places, like Kanpur Dehat, the plan has already started. Schools with fewer than 20 children are being merged with other nearby schools. This will help keep the teacher-student ratio correct. The state government is also planning to transfer teachers based on how many of students are there in each school. Once this work is done, the final pairing of schools will be completed. The government has said this step is important to make the education system strong.

This plan is not just about saving money. It is about making sure that all children get a good education. Every child should have proper teachers, a proper classroom, books, a toilet, clean drinking water, a playground, and a safe and happy environment. The aim of the government is to make education better and joyful for all students.

The government has also said that this plan will help bring new ideas to schools. Teachers will try new ways of teaching. There will be better teamwork among teachers. Students will also enjoy learning more. With the smart use of school buildings, blackboards, computers, and books, the whole education system can become better.

Officers will make sure that children do not have to walk far or face problems. They will also take suggestions from village leaders, parents, teachers, and other departments. A timetable will be made for the new joint school. Each teacher will be given proper work. The school will run smoothly. If anyone has a complaint, they can go to the complaint cell in the BSA office. The officers will solve all problems as soon as possible.

The goal of this plan is that every child should go to school, every teacher should teach in class, and every school should be full of learning and joy. Our children are the future of the country. They need good schools and caring teachers. If this plan is done carefully and with love, it can change the future of many children.

This is a big change. The government must make sure that children from poor families, girls, and children from remote villages are not left behind. Everyone must get equal and quality education. The government must follow the Right to Education law while doing this work. The aim should be that every child learns well and grows into a good and happy person.

The schools that have fewer children today may become happy places for small children tomorrow. Bal Vatikas can help give early education to all children. This way, no school building will go to waste. Everything will be used for the better future of children.

This plan may look small, but it can bring a big change. If the officers, teachers, and parents work together, it can become a success. It is important that the government listens to the people and solves their problems. It must make sure that no child suffers because of the merging of schools. If the plan is done with care and proper planning, it will help make education better for all.

In the end, we must remember that every child is special. Every child deserves a good school, good teachers, and a chance to learn and grow. This plan to merge schools is a step towards that goal. It must be done with love, care, and full planning. Only then will our children get the future they deserve.

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