Teachers against merger of 800 schools

Our Correspondent

Patiala, October 21

Teachers are up in arms against the decision of the state government to merge 800 schools, having less than 20 students, with adjoining schools situated within one kilometre radius. Teachers’ unions have decided to organisse massive protests across the state. 

Activists of the BEd Teachers’ Front, ETT TET Pass Teachers’ Union Punjab and ETT Teachers’ Union have flayed the state government for the move. Members of the BEd Teachers’ Front said the state government was making tall claims to save the government education system but the decision to shut the schools was against its promises. They said the children studying in the 800 schools would now have to walk or travel many kilometres.

Notably, a communique by the director of the Education Department to district education officers stated that the merger process had to be completed within a week and the teachers working in these schools could be deployed at the places where their services are needed the most.

Members of the ETT TET Pass Teachers’ Union Punjab said the state government had decided to start pre-primary classes in these schools from November 14 which would increase the number of students in these schools.

The ETT Teachers’ Union stated, “The anti-education policies of the Punjab government are responsible for the decreasing number of students in schools as it has failed to provide basic facilities, such as infrastructure and sufficient number of staff.”

 Teachers said if the government failed to roll back the decision, they would launch a massive agitation with the help of panchayats and students of the schools.