Uttar Pradesh: Schools with less than 50 students to be merged with nearby institutions

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to merge the schools having enrolment of less than 50 students, in bid to make the education system more functional and viable.

As part of the consolidation plan, students from these schools will be accommodated in nearby facilities to ensure their continued education.

The officials have been directed that a theoretical exercise should be completed on priority basis based on the data regarding primary schools (stand alone) with less than 50 enrollment.

They have been asked to prepare a proper document and district booklet, detailing which schools can be merged, how much distance will the children have to cover, the availability of building, teachers, transport, roads and highways.

The issue will also be discussed in the meeting of District Basic Education Officers to be held on November 13-14.

Last month, the the Uttar Pradesh Education Department sent a show cause notice to the management of a private school in Aligarh district for allegedly intimidating children with threats of "electric chair" and also failing to renew its permit to conduct classes.

Basic Education Officer, Rakesh Kumar Singh said that he had received a complaint from the parent of a student who alleged that his ward was tortured and "made to sit on an electric chair" as part of the punishment.

"A parent of a child complained that their child was made to sit on a chair and was threatened. This incident was found to be false. We saw the CCTV, the child was sitting and nothing like that was done to him," the official said.