Chandigarh: The Education Department, Punjab, has devised a novel plan aimed at ensuring conducive academic environment and availing the services of current staff at the needy places. The department has decided to merge Government Primary Schools having less than 20 students with those Government Primary Schools which are situated within 1 KM radius.

This was disclosed by a spokesperson of the Education Department. The decision of the department would result in the teachers of the schools being merged being deployed at the places where their services are needed the most.

The spokesperson further said that under the visionary guidance of the Chief Minister, Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh and the directions of the Education Minister Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary 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 1st standard in 400 schools of the state.

The spokesperson also said that as per the current series of educational reforms, the decision to merge Government Primary Schools having less than 20 students with those Government Primary Schools falling within 1 Kilometre distance. The spokesperson made it clear that the school which is situated at a distance of more than 1 KM would not be merged even if the strength of the students is less than 20.

According to the spokesperson, 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 1 KM from his/her residence to go to school. The spokesperson also said 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 the schools facing merger have the student strength of less than 5 and out of these, 15 schools have even less than 3 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.

The 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 impartial basis.