Schools merge, students back from vacation wait at gates in Noida

Time of India

01-07-2025

Noida: Students outside 72 govt primary schools in the city were left wondering if the summer vacations had extended when they found the gates locked after their return from the month-long holiday.
The gates, they were told, would never open again. And their favourite seat in the classroom would no longer be there.
Many primary schools with less than 50 students in each are being shut as part of a govt decision to merge them with upper primary institutions in the district. The intention of the merger — announced through a letter last month — is to rationalise resources. But parents fear the govt's move might end up doing exactly what education campaigns fought against —keeping children away from schools.
The consolidated schools, mostly upper primary institutions, are kilometres away from junior facilities, which might put them beyond the reach of villagers and force students to eventually pull out. Over 5,000 schools will be integrated across the state.
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My daughter is in Class 1 and son in Class 2. How can they travel 5km to Kheda Dujana upper primary school," Jayveer Singh, a private firm worker, sought to know.
Singh said he wasn't even aware of the merger plan. "It was a regular day when the school reopened after summer vacation. Our kids were excited to return for classes and meet their friends. I came to know about the govt's decision when someone told me that my kids were left waiting outside their school as the main gate was locked. If this continues, I fear their education might come to a halt," he added.
The irony of the situation isn't lost on teachers as well.
"The govt runs campaigns like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and School Chalo Abhiyan to increase enrolment. Yet, here we are, forcing students to discontinue education through such mergers. The increasing distance will especially impact girls' education and add to dropout rates," said a primary school teacher.
Some teachers were concerned that the move would reduce posts and eliminate principal positions. "Principals at primary schools will lose their positions.
It's demoralising for both students and teachers," said Praveen Sharma, president of the Noida Teachers' Association.
The ripple effect will soon extend to Ghaziabad, where 59 schools are likely to be consolidated. Basic education officer Rahul Panwar claimed that principals were informed about the merger through official letters. "Primary class students will be shifted to nearby schools only. The vacated buildings would be turned into Bal Vatikas or pre-primary schools," he told TOI.
The ground reality, however, paints a different picture. For many educators, the emotional impact on young students is concerning. "These primary schools are like second homes for many children. They have their favourite corners, seats and so on. This sudden shift will disrupt their learning environment," said Mamta, a teacher at primary school in Salarpur.
Another teacher couldn't agree more. "It's painful to see students we encouraged to come to school are now unwilling to attend classes because of distance. With time and an increasing population, there should have been more schools in every district.
But here, schools are merging and reducing in numbers. This will lead to a higher dropout rate," he added.
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