Assam education minister will consider complaints against school merger with ‘strong logic’

NEW DELHI: Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu has announced that he will consider complaints against school merger supported with a “strong logic” and asked to send them to his email ID. The minister asked to provide the correct Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) code and enrollment figure along with the complaint. The state government recently announced closure of schools after poor results in Assam Class 10 exams this year, correcting it later as school merger and not closure after receiving flak.

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“Announcement. Any complaint against a school amalgamation/merger order or request for modification, supported by strong logic or legitimate grounds may be sent to ranojpegu@gmail.com. Provide the correct UDISE code and current enrolment figure,” Pegu said in a tweet.

Announcement ?
Any complaint against a school amalgamation/merger order or request for modification, supported by strong logic or legitimate grounds may be sent to ranojpegu@gmail.com. Provide the correct UDISE code and current enrolment figure. 1/2 @himantabiswa

— Ranoj Pegu (@ranojpeguassam) August 31, 2022

“Our government is committed to strong redressal mechanisms and the welfare of our people,” he added.

Reacting to the state government’s decision, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that closing schools is not a solution. “Closing schools is not the solution. We just need to open many new schools all over the country. Instead of closing the school, improve the school and make education right,” Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted for which he was slammed by the ministers of Assam.

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Pegu had explained that “In Assam, schools are not being closed down but amalgamated or merged, depending upon the school’s enrollment and distance.”

Ranoj Pegu had in July told PTI that the state witnessed a steady rise in student enrolment in government schools during the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to financial stress on the families.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma even asked Kejriwal to "do his homework" before commenting following which Sarma and Kejriwal engaged in a Twitter banter with the AAP chief asking his counterpart when he should come to see the schools of the northeastern state.