16 April news

200, not 700, schools to be merged in Punjab: Maluka  
  Tribune News Service   

— Sikander Singh Maluka, Punjab Education Minister Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab Government has clarified today that it would merge 200 government primary schools instead of 700. This is the second such clarification issued by the government after it had incorrectly stated that all the panchayats of the state would be dissolved. 

Reports that 700 schools were to be merged in the state had been circulating in the media for the past two weeks. 

Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka categorically said “the media should rely on information provided by his office or the Principal Secretary’s office”.

Maluka further said, “We don’t know who is spreading this misinformation that 700 schools are being merged. Firstly, no school is being merged immediately. Secondly, the merger will have to be approved by the MLAs concerned, panchayats or the municipal bodies, as the case may be. 

“Only villages which have two or more schools face the merger. In case a school was being merged, the department will make arrangements for the students’ travel.

“Each school under consideration for a merger will be studied separately in collaboration with the village sarpanch, the council president and the school teachers concerned. The merger is being initiated wherein two neighbouring schools have two or more teachers and less than 10 students,” Maluka said

Maluka clarified that schools were being merged for administrative purposes and not because of any financial reasons. He said the vacant school buildings would be left at the disposal of the panchayats or the local bodies concerned.

The Education Department handles the affairs of at least 6,643 primary schools while the panchayats run over 5,720 schools.

When asked about the state government’s commitment to clamp down on those providing illegal and substandard transport to school children, Maluka said he had not received any information in this regard. 

However, it is alarming that ‘peter rehdas’ (locally made travel autos) and poorly maintained vans still ran on the state roads.  

Panel on private schools 

Makluka said today he had ordered the constitution of a committee to look into arbitrary fees being charged by private schools; what procedure they followed in conducting admissions; and that these schools were paying their teachers very low salaries