The process has begun to merge approximately 700 schools in Himachal Pradesh, each with only about five students. The education department is currently mapping the distances to nearby schools for these schools slated for merging. A proposal is expected to be prepared within this month.
Recently, Education Minister Rohit Thakur instructed the merger of schools during a departmental review meeting. In the first phase, schools located close to other schools will be merged. Students and teachers from these schools will be shifted to the adjacent schools. Departmental officials have stated that schools with fewer than five students will be merged first. There are about 700 such schools, including around 80 schools where no students have enrolled.
In the second phase, schools with up to ten students will be identified. In 2023, the number of students decreased by approximately 50,000 compared to 2022, as noted in the 2023 U-DISE report. This significant decline in the number of students attending government schools was observed following the COVID-19 crisis. Consequently, the state government has decided to merge schools with minimal student enrollment. Departmental officials mentioned that teachers from these schools will be transferred to other schools with more students but fewer teachers. Students from the merged schools will also be enrolled in nearby schools.
Strict Decisions for Improving Education Quality: Rohit
There will be no compromise on the quality of education. The decision to merge schools has been made to ensure adequate teacher appointments. Departmental officials have been asked to submit a report on this matter within the month. Students from the merged schools will be admitted to nearby schools. - Rohit Thakur, Education Minister
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