Explained: Why is Haryana govt’s merger plan for its schools facing opposition?

As per the scheme’s criteria, government middle schools with less than 20 students in Class 6 to 8, and government schools having less than 25 students in Classes 9 to 12 will be merged with the nearest government middle/high/ senior secondary school within a radius of 3 km. This involves the physical merger of the campus, which will free up government infrastructure to be used “for the benefit and convenience of students”.

Another part of the scheme involves a merger of schools located within a 1 km radius that will be consolidated with the highest category school making them a “single school unit”, but with different campuses. The initiative, the government has said, is aimed at optimum utilisation of available infrastructure and human resources.

Why are teachers opposing the move?

According to the government school teachers, the move will adversely affect the studies of students, especially from backward communities. Haryana Vidyalaya Adhyapak Sangh general secretary Parbhu Singh said: “Under the exercise of merger, several government schools will close. Most poor only send their children to the schools if they are located near their homes. If they have to commute to distant places, it may affect enrollment. Further, as per the RTE Act, there should be a ratio (teacher-student) of 1:35 and not 1:50 as being offered for the schools currently.”

Former president of the Sangh, Wazir Singh, added: “We need to ask why the number of students has gone down in some schools. If an adequate number of teachers are posted in schools, the number of students won’t go down. But with this merger exercise, the government clearly doesn’t want to fill the vacant teachers’ posts.”

The teachers’ body also says the merger of schools will affect the promotion of teachers because as per the new system, the head of the highest school shall work as “head of the institution” for all campuses of the consolidated school. The teachers’ body has apprehensions that more schools will face closure if the merger scheme continues, and this will ultimately encourage privatisation of the school education.

Protesting students and their parents alleged the ongoing process of “rationalisation” has left some schools without teachers for subjects like science and mathematics.

What does the government say?

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had recently stated that the government schools from Class 1 to 12 running in one building across the state will be merged into one. The head of these schools will also be the same. The CM had stated: “Most of the schools in the entire state are such that different primary, higher and senior secondary schools are running in the same building. They also have separate heads. The government is soon going to integrate these schools. A new system will be implemented in this regard soon. The teachers of these schools will also be rationalised. With this, the shortage of teachers will be filled, if there is still a shortage, then the government will fill it soon.”

What does the opposition say?

Both Congress and AAP have been opposing the merger plan. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda said: “Nearly 38,000 teachers’ posts are lying vacant in schools. Thousands of youths are waiting for recruitment, but this government is going to eliminate vacant posts without recruitment. From November 2014 to April 2022, Manohar Lal Khattar’s government has opened only 8 new schools in the state and upgraded only 463 schools.”