Raebareli Teachers Protest School Mergers, Warn Of Rising Dropouts Among Rural Students

The Junior High School Teachers' Association in Raebareli has launched a protest against the proposed merger and pairing of basic education schools, arguing that these moves will severely impact the future of disadvantaged children in rural areas. Teachers warn that while educators may be transferred, students will be left behind in their villages, leading to an increase in school dropouts.

To voice their concerns, the Junior Teacher's Association will submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Block Education Officers (BEOs) across all blocks on June 27. A meeting of the district and block executive committees was held on Wednesday at Composite School Chak Ahmadpur to prepare for this initiative. Samar Bahadur Singh, National Vice President of the association, stated that the government's pairing and merger policies would ruin children's futures, accusing authorities of acting arbitrarily without proper assessment. District President Raghavendra Yadav added that officials declared school mergers without physical verification, forcing children to travel up to three kilometers, which could lead to many abandoning their education. He emphasized that the government and officials had not considered the consequences for these children.

If their concerns are not addressed, the association plans to escalate their protest with a district-level demonstration starting July 5. Mandali Treasurer Shivsagar and District Secretary Pannalal highlighted that the RTE Act was implemented to ensure easy access to education for every child, with a rule for schools within every one kilometer in Uttar Pradesh.
They lamented that the government's current focus seems to be shifting away from providing accessible education.

District Vice President Nagendra Singh urged officials to record parents' consent or dissent regarding mergers and pairing, suggesting it would be crucial for protecting schools in the future. District Treasurer Shivsharan Singh stressed the importance of maintaining schools on paper for legal challenges, even if they cease physical operations. The meeting was conducted by District General Secretary Siyaram Sonkar.