LUCKNOW The UP Department of Basic Education’s decision to merge government primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students erupted into a political controversy after which the department apparently took a rearguard action and declared that no process was underway to close any school.
The primary education department’s plan to merge schools had also drawn criticism from the teachers’ association. (Photo for display)
“The news published in a section of the media about the closure of 27,000 primary schools by merging them with nearby schools is misleading and baseless. There is no process underway to close any school,” a social media post from the department said Monday.
The contradiction/clarification came at 11.44 am, barely 29 minutes after Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the UP government over the proposed closure of 27,000 government schools in the state after their merger.
In her social media post, Priyanka stated, “The BJP government in UP has decided to close 27,764 primary and secondary schools. This step is against the education sector and against the children of Dalit, backward, poor and deprived sections.”
Her post on .”
“The aim of welfare policies and schemes is not to make profits, but to promote the well-being of people. BJP does not want education to be accessible to children from weaker sections,” she added.
Director General (School Education) Kanchan Verma said, “There was a communication from the Government of India and we are in discussions with our officials. No decision has yet been made to merge or close schools. Minutes of the meeting with officers do not become an order or decision.
The primary education department’s plan to merge schools also drew criticism from the teachers’ association. Dinesh Chandra Sharma, president of UP Primary Teachers’ Association, in his post on X stated that if this news is misleading, the government should issue a written denial in this regard.
Vipin Bihari, a state award-winning teacher, wrote on his X account: “The government should withdraw this decision immediately. If this priority is made, it will become a norm in the future, and no one will be able to change it, and people will have to struggle for children’s education.”
“The second loss concerns the image of the government, because the emergence of such news just before the midterm elections can influence people’s decision,” his message said.