Deccan Chronicle

AP TO SHUT 9,000 SCHOOLS

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The Andhra Pradesh Education department issued G.O No. 29 on Rationalis­ation of schools across the state. This move is facing severe criticism. Around 9,000 schools with poor strength were on the verge of closure with the recent GO.

The schools’ education department issued the directions for allocation of teachers in government schools across 13 districts.

According to the GO. No. 29, primary schools with less than 20 enrolments, Upper Primary schools with less than 40 enrolments and High schools with less than 50 enrolments within 1 Km radius could be considered as Non-viable and consolidat­ed with nearby existing schools. This will result in closure of around 6,500 primary schools, 2,500 upper primary schools and 50 high schools across 13 districts of AP.

The district-level rationalis­ation committee under the chairmansh­ip of the District collector, will be formed with five members to take up the rationalis­ation process.

Rationalis­ation is a big threat to government schools in Guntur district. Nearly 450 schools would be closed in Capital district, Guntur. The schools with low admissions would be merged into the nearby schools and those schools would be closed.

Educationi­sts and teachers’ unions are alleging that the government has brought this GO to weaken government schools as a part of their plan to encourage corporate education.

“Guidelines issued by government on rationalis­ation of schools is doing nothing but degrading government schools. Around one lakh poor students in various government schools will suffer with rationaliz­ation. We will agitate against this and demand that

the government withdraw trials to close government schools,”says Andhra Pradesh Teachers’ Federation State President G. Hrudaya Raju.

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