Priya Saroj urges Centre’s intervention in UP school mergers, cites RTE violation

The controversy surrounding the merger of schools in Uttar Pradesh is steadily gaining momentum. Though the matter is being reviewed by the High Court, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Priya Saroj has addressed a letter to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, appealing for his intervention.

According to a recent directive by the Basic Education Department under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which emphasises greater collaboration, coordination, and sharing of resources among institutions, since July 1, over 10,000 government primary schools across Uttar Pradesh have been ‘paired’ with nearby schools with better facilities. The government has said that the pairing process is carefully mapped to ensure that children are relocated within a safe and feasible distance.

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In the letter, sent on Sunday, Priya Saroj pointed out that the school merger process is currently underway across Uttar Pradesh. She emphasised that the move by the state government is contrary to the Right to Education (RTE) policy.

She stated, “The Right to Education Act mandates that any child between the ages of 6 and 14 must be given admission to a school within a one-km radius of his/her home. If no such school exists within this range, it becomes the government’s responsibility to ensure the child’s admission elsewhere.”

Further highlighting the issue, Priya Saroj added that the state administration is “acting in violation of the provisions of this Act.” She cautioned that this policy could lead to an increase in dropout rates and adversely affect the future of school staff and educators.

The Yogi Adityanath-led government has already released a directive for implementing school mergers.

Meanwhile, several organizations have challenged this decision in court, where hearings are ongoing. In one such instance related to the Sitapur district, the High Court issued a stay order on the ongoing merger proceedings till August 21.