Priyanka Gandhi Warns UP’s School Merger Plan Will Shut Down Thousands of Village Schools
She says closing under-enrolled institutions with fewer than 50 students violates the Right to Education for marginalized communities.
Overview
- Priyanka Gandhi alleged on X that Yogi Adityanath’s administration plans to merge about 5,000 government schools, while teachers’ organisations warn the number could climb to 27,000.
- The Uttar Pradesh government defends the move as a measure to consolidate schools with low enrolment, tackle teacher shortages and curb underutilised infrastructure.
- Critics caution that forcing young children—especially girls from Dalit, tribal and poor backgrounds—to travel long distances may drive up dropout rates.
- Education officials have ordered district administrations to submit detailed merger proposals by mid-November, taking transportation and geography into account.
- Opposition parties and civil society groups have launched protests and petitions demanding full disclosure of pre-merger survey data and a reassessment of the policy’s social impact.