Amidst hullabaloo by the opposition, Punjab Government has rescheduled its merger plan of 800 primary schools, having less than 20 students, to November 30. Earlier, the Education Department had set October 25 as the deadline for the same.
The Director Public Instructions (DPI), Schools, has issued formal directions in this regard saying that the process to be completed by November 30.
At the same time, the Education Department has issued a clarification about its move to merge primary schools. Spokesperson said that the Education Department has devised a plan aimed at ensuring conducive academic environment and availing the services of current staff at the required places.
The Department has decided to merge government primary schools, having less than 20 students, with those government primary schools which are situated within one kilometre radius. The decision would made available the teachers of the schools, which are being merged, for teaching at the schools where there is shortage of teachers or where their services are needed the most, said the spokesperson.
Spokesperson added that under the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s visionary guidance and Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary’s directions, it has been decided to start pre-primary classes to boost the standard of government schools as well as strengthen the primary education infrastructure.
Apart from this, special budgetary provisions have been made to strengthen the basic infrastructure of government primary schools and instruction in English medium (optional) would be imparted from first standard in 400 schools of the state, added the spokesperson.
Spokesperson also clarified that the schools, which are situated at a distance of more than one km, would not be merged even if the strength of the students is less than 20.
“The Right to Free and Compulsory Education of the children is being fully adhered to and no student would be traversing the distance of more than one km from his or her residence to go to school,” said the spokesperson adding that many schools, being merged, are situated right next to the other schools and in many places, both the schools share a common wall.
Adding further, the spokesperson said that 47 of schools, facing merger, have the student strength of less than five and out of these, 15 schools have even less than three students.
Terming the decision of merger as being in the interest of both the students and the teachers, the spokesperson said that this would lead to the better educational atmosphere in the schools.
Spokesperson made it absolutely clear that the teachers of the schools, being merged, would be deputed in the concerned district at needy schools having vacant slots as per their seniority on an impartial basis.