‘Barrier to Education’: Call to withdraw UP order on merging schools with fewer than 50 students

The Uttar Pradesh government has been urged to revoke its directive to merge primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students. In a letter to the state administration, Ghosi MP Rajeev Rai demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order, describing the move as a barrier to accessible education in rural areas.

The directive, issued on June 16, 2025, by the additional chief secretary of the Basic Education Department, has drawn criticism for its potential impact on children from marginalised and economically weaker communities. Rai stated that in many villages, these schools are the only available educational institutions. Merging them would amount to closure, cutting off access to education due to the absence of transport and infrastructure.

“Merging schools with fewer than 50 students will effectively shut them down, leaving children in those villages with no access to education due to lack of transport and infrastructure,” he said. He further added that the move could lead to an increase in dropouts and disrupt the educational continuity of children, particularly among girls, and further increase child labour while breaking the continuity of children's education.

Flags RTE, constitutional issues

The letter also flagged possible violations of Article 21A of the Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged six to fourteen. Rai cited Section 6 of the Right to Education Act, 200. He added that Article 46, which calls on the state to protect the educational and economic interests of marginalised communities, is being disregarded.

Calls for more teachers, infrastructure

Rai demanded that the merger policy be revoked with immediate effect and that each village be assured of a local school as mandated by law. He also called for the recruitment of new teachers, better infrastructure in schools, and an end to the practice of assigning non-teaching duties to educators. He said the focus should be on public participation and decentralisation instead of centralisation in school management.

“I urge you to consider the future of underprivileged children and withdraw this merger policy with immediate effect so that children may continue to receive quality education within their own villages,” he said.