Ambala: Students of primary schools with poor strength to be shifted

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, November 29

The Education Department is likely to shift the students of primary schools having student strength equal to or less than 20, to nearby schools and provide transportation facilities for them.

The department has reportedly asked the District Elementary Education Officers in the state to map such primary schools where the strength is equal to or less than 20, with nearest schools.

Focus on quality education

The state government and the Education Department aim to provide quality education to the students. The government will provide transportation facilities to the children and the decision will be beneficial for them. Sudhir Kalra, District Elementary Education Officer

The department will work out a scheme to shift such students to the nearest schools and arrange transportation for a distance of 1 km or more from Class I onwards. It will withdraw teachers from such schools till the students’ strength does not exceed 20.

Department officials believe that the decision will benefit the students by ensuring quality education. At present, only the girl students from Classes IX to XII are getting the transportation facility. Under the new scheme, the primary schoolchildren will also get that facility. There are 478 primary schools in Ambala of which around 40 have up to 20 students.

The Rajkiya Prathmik Adhyapak Sangh has expressed unhappiness over the department’s move and threatened to launch an agitation.

Rajesh Sharma, state deputy general secretary of the union, said, “It has come to our notice that the department is gathering details of the schools having up to 20 students and their distance from nearby schools so that transportation facility could be provided to them. The decision will have an adverse impact on the study of students. Some people may even stop sending their daughters to other schools even if the transportation facility is provided. It will also affect the midday meal workers and sweepers. The union has objected to such moves in the past too and we will oppose it again. A state-level meeting has been called in December to discuss the issue.”

Meanwhile, District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) Sudhir Kalra said, “The state government and the Education Department aim to provide quality education to the students. The government will provide transportation facilities to the children and the decision will be beneficial for them as well as teachers. There shouldn’t be any objection to anyone.”