The Odisha Elementary Teachers’ United Forum has opposed the proposed merger of 1,603 Government upper primary schools (UPS) with the nearby high schools.
The forum said the decisions of including the Class VII in the UP schools taking out from the high school education system in April and merging of the UP schools with the high school in August is contradictory. The Government is putting the primary school education system in jeopardy, alleged the forum.
The decision of merger is against the Orissa Education (Amendment) Act, 2010 and the Elementary Cadre Rules 1997, pointed out the forum.
The teachers’ body demanded withdrawal of the decision at the earliest and threatened to take to the streets if the demand is not fulfiled.
Members of the All Utkal Primary Teachers’ Federation, Odisha Primary Teachers’ Association, Odisha Elementary Teachers’ Association, All Odisha Elementary TG Teachers’ Association, Association of Teachers’ Recruited in BEd under Zilla Parisad, Odisha Shiksha Sahayak Association, BEd Siksha Sahayak Sangha, Odisha and the All Odisha SC/ST Teachers’ Welfare Associations were present.