No teacher posts to be abolished in school merger plan, new appointments if needed: UP minister

Lucknow, Jul 31 (PTI) Amid criticism from the opposition regarding the merger of government primary schools in Uttar Pradesh, Minister of State for Basic Education (Independent Charge) Sandeep Singh assured that teaching posts will not be eliminated and new appointments will be made as needed to maintain the student-teacher ratio.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Singh explained that the merger aims to enhance the quality of education and will not inconvenience students.

Approximately 10,000 schools were identified for merging, and this process, along with the unmerging of schools where necessary, will be completed within the coming week, he said.

"Schools with fewer than 50 students are being considered for the merger. However, if students encounter difficulties in commuting, such as if the merged school is over one kilometre away or if geographical challenges arise, the merger will be reversed," Singh mentioned.

He stressed that all 132,886 government-run primary schools in the state will continue to operate and will maintain valid UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) codes.

Addressing apprehensions about job losses, Singh stated, "There will be no abolition of teachers’ posts. All sanctioned posts will remain intact, including those of the headmaster. If needed, we will appoint new teachers to maintain the required pupil-teacher ratio." Singh further noted that the merger process will be completed within a week and added that the buildings of the schools that are vacated through mergers will be repurposed as bal vatikas (pre-primary schools).

"As per the national mandate, admission to Class 1 begins at the age of six. So, to cater to pre-primary needs, these bal vatikas will be operational by August 15," he said.

Singh clarified that the state government never halted recruitment and remains committed to meeting educational standards.

"We are following norms -- one teacher per 30 students in pre-primary and one per 35 in upper primary schools. Every merged school will have three teachers, two assistant teachers, and one shiksha mitra to ensure seamless academic activities," he said.

He also took a swing at opposition parties, particularly the Samajwadi Party, accusing them of politicising the issue.

"Before 2017, government schools lacked even basic infrastructure. Under Operation Kayakalp, with over Rs 11,500 crore, we equipped 96 per cent of schools with essentials like drinking water, toilets, and midday meals. This has encouraged even Dalit families to send their children to government schools," he said.

Highlighting recent progress, the minister said, "In the academic session 2025–26 alone, we enrolled 27.53 lakh new students. The government is fully committed to enhancing the future of children through quality education." Singh pointed out that the merger model has already been adopted in other states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh is following suit by carefully studying every aspect. PTI ABN ABN MPL MPL