TCTA oppose amalgamation of schools, 31.62% schools in state being closed dow

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 15, 2024

The Tripura College Teachers Association (TCTA), a pro-left teachers body, have at long last come out openly against the policy of amalgamating schools having small number of students with nearby larger schools. A statement issued by the TCTA said that the state government’s avowed decision to amalgamate 795 government schools with nearby larger schools on the ground of lesser number of students will have disastrous consequences for school education in Tripura. It said that the schools had been set up to help students in remote and backward areas have easy access to school education for betterment of their life and opportunities for self-development. The closure of 31.62% schools of the state will have a debilitating effect on the future generation of students in Tripura in terms of their education, the statement said.

It said that over the past six or seven years education at the school and college level has been afflicted by crippling teacher shortage and other problems and , in stead of taking any step to resolve these problems through recruitment of adequate number of teachers for schools and colleges, the state government has sought an easy way out by deciding to close down schools and amalgamate them with larger schools . “That will be a big blow to the future and upcoming generation of students of the state an d this move needs to be headed off immediately” said the TCTA statement.

The statement also pointed out the unscientific and unplanned manner in which the ‘Vidayjyoti’ scheme had been introduced in the state, dealing a big blow to the future of students. “Any sensible administration would have experimentally introduced the scheme only in a few english medium schools in the state capital and district and subdivisional headquarters but here the government introduced the scheme in a thoughtless manner in 125 schools having no infrastructure and not even teachers who can impart lessons in english ; this was done by the conspiracy of a bureaucrat who had personal axes to grind” said the TCTA sources . They also said that closure of the schools is also violative of the constitutional provision for universal free education as enshrined in directive principles and education policy of 2009 and urged upon the government for course correction without any further delay.