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Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HC orders status quo on process of govt schools' pairing in Sitapur till Aug 21
Lucknow: A Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court on Thursday directed the UP govt to maintain the status quo on the process of pairing of primary schools in Sitapur district till Aug 21. The court passed the interim order after observing some discrepancies in pairing of the schools in the district. The bench, however, clarified that its interim order neither questions the merit of the schools pairing policy nor its implementation. A bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh passed the interim order on two special appeals filed separately by Master Nitish Kumar and Master Dharm Veer through their guardians. The bench observed: "Till the next date, only in respect of district Sitapur, on account of the fact that certain glaring discrepancies have been noticed by the court which are sought to be explained by the respondents, status quo as it exists today, qua the implementation of the exercise undertaken by the respondents for pairing of schools shall be maintained. " The special appeals were filed against the single judge bench's order of July 7, which had dismissed the writ petitions against the state govt order (dated June 16, 2025) on pairing or merger of primary schools which had poor strength of students. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo The appellants pleaded that paired schools violate the norm of having a school in the neighborhood under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and in violation of Article 21-A of the Constitution of India. In the course of hearing, the bench found that the single judge had relied on some documents produced by the state govt. As the said documents were not part of record, the state counsel filed them on affidavit. Taking them on record, the bench asked the appellants' counsel to respond to them as well by next hearing.
Hindustan Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Centre defends UP government's school merger policy amid criticism
New Delhi: The Union ministry of education on Monday defended the Uttar Pradesh government's ongoing school pairing initiative amid criticism over the issue, saying the process is 'carefully mapped' to ensure that students are relocated within a safe and feasible distance. Members in the Lok Sabha during the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament on Monday. (Sansad TV) The initiative to merge schools having enrolment of less than 50 students with larger schools nearby is underway at a time when the state witnessed a 15.94% reduction in the number of government schools, from 1,63,114 in 2017-18 to 1,37,102 in 2023-24, according to education ministry's data. In response to questions raised by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Banda constituency of Uttar Pradesh, union minister of state (MoS) for education Jayant Chadhary said that the efforts are underway to repurpose the spaces of closed schools into Balvatika meant for holding classes for pre-primary students. Through a government order dated June 16, 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government initiated a pairing of school initiative to ensure optimal utilisation of resources and to enhance the quality of education, under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Chaudhary said. 'Schools with low enrolment are being paired with nearby designated schools that offer improved infrastructure, and a more enriched learning and engaging academic environment. This approach facilitates access to peer learning, age appropriate pedagogy, and the development of 21st-century skills. The pairing process is carefully mapped to ensure that children are relocated within a safe and feasible distance,' he said. Chaudhary said that a 'focused effort' is underway to repurpose spaces of closed schools into Balvatika centres. 'This initiative supports the policy's emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), providing foundational learning environments for children aged 3 to 5 years,' he said. Chaudhary's response in Lok Sabha has come at a time when Uttar Pradesh government is facing criticism over the merging of schools, which some fear will lead to increased travel distances for young students. On July 14, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to merge schools. The petition argues that the decision violates the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. It contends that the merger would result in primary schools being located farther away for young children, potentially leading them to miss out on their education. There are nearly 1.40 lakh government primary and upper primary schools in the state, out of which 29,000 have 50 or fewer students. The state government's order was challenged before the Allahabad high court but it dismissed the pleas on July 7. In response to Samajwadi MP from Azamgarh Dharmendra Yadav's questions related to school infrastructure, Chaudhary stated that there are 1,37,102 government schools in Uttar Pradesh out of 10,17,660 government schools in the country – 13.47%. The minister also shared the data from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) reports which shows that the number of government schools in Uttar Pradesh has declined by 15.94% from 1,63,114 in 2017-18 to 1,37,102 in 2023-24. 'Education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the majority of schools come under the administrative domain or jurisdiction of the respective state government and Union Territory (UT) administration. The opening and closing of schools come under the purview of respective state governments and UT administration,' Chaudhary said.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AAP steps up campaign to protect government schools in Uttar Pradesh; seeks Rajya Sabha debate
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has intensified its efforts to raise concerns over the status of government schools in Uttar Pradesh, with the issue now likely to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha. AAP MP Sanjay Singh has submitted a notice under Rule 267, requesting a discussion in the Upper House on the closure and merger of government schools and its implications for children's access to education. The Rajya Sabha Chairman has taken cognizance of Singh's notice, which was filed on the opening day of the Monsoon Session. In a post on X, Singh stated that AAP's campaign to safeguard public education would continue both inside Parliament and on the ground. 'Educational reform should not mean shutting down government schools, but strengthening them,' he wrote. In his submission, Singh cited the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and Article 21A of the Constitution, expressing concern over the reduction in the number of functioning government schools. According to Singh, over 10,827 primary schools in Uttar Pradesh have been merged, nearly 25,000 have been closed, and orders have been issued for the closure of around 5,000 more. He noted that such changes, in some cases, may be impacting accessibility for children in remote areas, especially those from rural and marginalised communities, who may now need to travel several kilometres to reach the nearest school. Singh also highlighted the issue of teacher vacancies, stating that more than 1.93 lakh teaching positions are currently unfilled in Uttar Pradesh's primary schools, with additional shortages reported in secondary and higher secondary institutions. He added that some schools are being managed by a single teacher, which may affect the overall quality of education delivery. He underscored the need to focus on investment in infrastructure, adequate staffing, and inclusivity to improve educational outcomes. 'We must invest in teachers, infrastructure, and inclusivity—not reduce physical access in the name of administrative efficiency,' he said. Calling it a matter of national relevance, Singh urged the House to suspend all other business and hold a focused discussion under Rule 267 to examine the broader implications of school closures and explore ways to strengthen public education systems.
News18
17-07-2025
- General
- News18
Odisha: Fail System Introduced For Class 5, 8 Students, What This Means?
Last Updated: As per the rule, if a child fails the examination, they will be given the opportunity for a re-examination within two months from the result declaration date. The Odisha government has implemented a fail system for the Class 5 and 8 annual examinations starting from the current academic year, according to an official notification. To enforce this decision, the government made necessary amendments to the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010, on Wednesday, reported PTI. As stated by a notification from the School and Mass Education Department, regular examinations for Class 5 and 8 will be conducted at the end of each academic year. If a child fails the examination, they will receive additional instruction and be given the opportunity for a re-examination within two months from the result declaration date. 'If the child appearing in the re-examination…..fails to fulfil the promotion criteria again, he/she shall be held back in fifth class or eighth class, as the case may be," said the notification. However, no child will be expelled from any school before completing their elementary education, the order added. In December last year, the Government of India amended the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2010 (RTE Act 2010). The amendments permit states to conduct regular exams for Class 5 and 8 students and retain them if they fail. These changes follow five years after the RTE Act was amended in 2019. To successfully pass the Odisha Board exams, students must achieve a minimum of 33 per cent marks in each subject as well as overall. Students who fail to achieve the minimum passing marks can appear for the compartment exams. Meanwhile, a total of 94.93 per cent of the students have cleared the class 10 exams this time. The pass percentage among girls was 96 per cent and among boys, it was 94 per cent. On the other hand, a total of 82.77 per cent of the students cleared the exam class 12 this time. A total of 77.88 per cent of boys and 87.24 per cent girls passed the exam. view comments First Published: July 10, 2025, 07:34 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha govt to introduce annual exams for Class V, VIII; scrap no detention rule
BHUBANESWAR : Students of Class V and VIII will now have to appear annual exams for promotion to the next grade at the end of the academic year. The School and Mass Education department on Wednesday informed that the state government has decided to implement significant changes to the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010 through the Odisha Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Rules, 2025. Under this amendment, students of Class V and VIII will have to appear for annual examination and if they fail to secure marks to meet the promotion criteria, they will be provided two months of extra teaching by their teachers. The students will have to reappear for the examination and if they do not pass, they will not be promoted. The new rule applies to both government and private schools and will be implemented from the 2025-26 academic session, commissioner-cum-secretary of the department Shalini Pandit said. The amendment, however, makes it clear that no child shall be expelled from school until the completion of elementary education. With foundational learning being given top priority, the move aims at ensuring that the learning levels are reached before students are promoted. The amendment aligns with the National Education Policy-2020 which emphasises the need for continuous assessment and formative evaluation of students to improve learning outcomes. These amendments are in line with Section 38 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and will come into effect upon their publication in the Odisha Gazette, the department informed. Detaining students in a class based on their annual examination performance was stopped in the state after the Right to Education (RTE) Act was passed in 2009. Section 16 of the RTE Act stipulated that 'no child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education (Classes 1 to 8)'. However, in December last year, the Ministry of Education did away with the 'no detention' policy for students of classes V and VII, allowing schools to fail students who are unable to clear class promotion examinations. States like Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi have already implemented the change. CHANGES Students of Class V and VIII will appear for annual examination If they fail to secure marks to meet the promotion criteria, they will be provided two months of extra teaching by their teachers The students will have to reappear for the examination and if they do not meet the promotion criteria even after re-examination, they will be held back in the same class During this period, class teacher will provide guidance to the child and his/her parents, focusing on addressing learning gaps identified through assessments
