62 primary schools shut

Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 18

As part of its rationalisation policy, the Education Department has closed down 62 primary schools across the state.

Sonepat district accounts for the maximum nine such schools followed by six in Nuh district and five each in Bhiwani, Hisar, Gurugram and Yamunanagar districts. In all, four schools each will be closed in Rohtak and Kaithal districts.

Three schools each will be closed down in Ambala, Karnal and Rewari districts, while two schools each will be shut down in Fatehabad, Jind, Kurukshetra and Mahendragarh districts. In Jhajjar and Palwal, one school each will be shut.

An order from the Director, Elementary Education, dated October 16 directed District Education Officers to ensure that teachers working in schools, which will shut down or merged with other schools, should be shifted to nearby ones.

“At the time of rationalisation, the posts of teacher will be rationalised on the basis of requirement at that point of time. All such teachers shall compulsorily participate in the next transfer drive,” the order stated.

Sources say the 62 schools have zero enrolment and have government primary schools in their vicinity (in most cases, within a radius of 500m). Students will not be affected, but about 60 teachers will be. They will be ‘adjusted’ in nearby schools or schools facing shortage, the sources say.

Meanwhile, the moveable assets of the 62 schools would be shifted to schools to which they would be merged. “When two schools are merged, a school may be shifted to a building of the school having better conditions,” the order stated.