Education Department plans merger of 450 middle schools

The Education Department has planned to merge more than 450 middle schools, till Class VIII, into high and senior secondary government schools in the new academic session.

KK Yadav, Secretary, School Education, said, “Middle schools will be merged with high or senior secondary schools, located in the immediate neighbourhood. No school will be closed or shifted to a new village or town outside their existing location.”

The clarification with regard to the location of schools remaining same after merger was important in context of teachers and parents fearing closure of institutes.

Sukhwinder Singh Chahal, president, Government Teachers’ Union, said, “The proposed merger of middle schools is the government’s attempt to close down institutes. In the name of consolidation of infrastructure, existing buildings of middle schools will be vacated by shifting students to new premises. More staff will not be recruited and the vacant posts will be scrapped in due course.”

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains had earlier stated that the government had no plan to close any middle government school.

A principal, requesting anonymity, said, “The merger will be a dynamic step in integrating the existing infrastructure and manpower. The biggest advantage will be availability of additional staff. In future, there may be reduction in the total number of schools and lesser recruitment. No one can deny low student strength in government schools.”

In 2017, the state government had attempted merger of around 800 primary schools having less than 20 students on rolls. AAP, which was main opposition, had opposed the move then.