Haryana government initiates merger of small schools with less than 20 students, plans transportation system

Preparations have started in Haryana to merge schools with less than 20 students. The government will shift the children of these schools to nearby government schools. A list of about 7349 such children has been prepared, who will be shifted to other nearby schools. The government will provide vehicle facilities for these children to go to school.

Several months ago, the Education Department sought information about those schools at the district level, where less than 20 students are studying. Now 832 primary schools with less than 20 students have been identified in the state. However, later after their data was updated on MIS, the number of schools also decreased.

Since the number of students in most of the schools was less than 20, the government had decided to shift the children of these schools to other government schools within a radius of one kilometre. Now the government has released a list of 7349 children who are to be shifted to nearby government schools.

Among the list of children who have been shifted by the Education Department, there are many children whose distance between the first school and the second school is more than one kilometre. However, the department was asked to shift these children to schools at a distance of up to one kilometre. But due to the distance covered in kilometres for some children, discussions will be held on how to provide them with transportation facilities and whether they will be shifted or not.

Opposition parties had raised questions regarding the decision to merge the schools. After this, CM Manohar Lal and Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gurjar have announced to provide transport facilities to such children.

There are many government schools in the state where there is a shortage of teachers. Children do not take admission to those schools or their parents do not enroll their children, due to which the number of students in these schools remains less than 20. Now these children will soon be shifted to nearby schools. The government will also arrange transportation facilities for them so that they do not face any problems in commuting.

Two months ago, the school children of Ratangarh had presented a demand to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal to start the bus service, after which the CM started the bus service from Ratangarh to Premnagar. During the Jan Samvad programme, the Chief Minister had announced to run a special bus for children. When the bus service started, the common people as well as children thanked the Chief Minister. People have welcomed the school bus with slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai.