UP Govt halts merger of distant and well-enrolled govt schools amid protests

Amid growing political protests across Uttar Pradesh over the merger of low-enrollment primary government schools, the state government has issued a revised directive, stating that no schools located more than one km away from students’ homes will be merged. Additionally, schools with more than 50 enrolled students will also remain unaffected by the merger process.

The new decision was announced by Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Basic Education, Sandeep Singh, during a press briefing here on Thursday.

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He emphasised that the move comes in response to concerns raised by teacher unions and parents across various districts, who claimed that school mergers had forced children to travel long distances, making education less accessible.

“Over the past eight years, there has been a significant improvement in the condition of government schools. The government is committed to providing quality education under the Right to Education Act, ensuring that every child has access to basic facilities,” the Minister said.

He further noted that since 2017, considerable efforts have been made to upgrade infrastructure, with 96 per cent of schools now equipped with drinking water, toilets, and other essential amenities.

The Minister also clarified that Uttar Pradesh is not the first state to implement school pairing or consolidation. Similar exercises have already been undertaken in states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Odisha. In Rajasthan, 20,000 schools were merged in 2014, while Madhya Pradesh saw the consolidation of 36,000 schools in the first phase in 2018, along with the establishment of approximately 16,000 integrated campuses. Odisha merged 1,800 schools during 2018–19, and Himachal Pradesh completed the process in phases during 2022 and 2024.

Addressing the ongoing legal case concerning the 69,000 teacher recruitment and reservation issue, Mr Singh affirmed the government’s commitment to abide by the Supreme Court’s verdict. “Whatever the court decides, we will implement it. The government cannot interfere in judicial procedures,” he stated. He also highlighted improvements in teacher accountability, stating that, unlike before, teachers are now actively engaged in classroom teaching themselves.

The updated policy is expected to bring relief to thousands of parents and educators who were concerned about the impact of school mergers on children’s access to education.

The Uttar Pradesh government’s recent decision to merge or “pair” government primary and upper primary schools with low student enrollment (fewer than 50 students) has sparked widespread debate and controversy. This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020’s emphasis on resource optimisation and improved educational quality through school clustering. By merging smaller schools with larger, better-equipped ones, the government aims to use resources more effectively, including infrastructure and teaching staff.