Following the new order issued by the Department of Basic Education (as seen in recent circulars such as letter no. 7896-55 dated 30 September 2025), teachers are being reassigned to smaller, under-capacity schools—some with as few as 15–25 students.
This approach creates:

• Fragmented distribution of teaching staff.
• Duplication of administrative and maintenance costs.
• Weak peer learning environments for students.
• Longer travel times and inefficiencies for teachers.

Instead of improving access, this reversal dilutes quality. Re-opening schools for “numbers” does not strengthen education—it spreads limited resources too thin.

Numerous teachers are facing the above problems.

For instance, my own aunt travelled 60 kilometres every day to teach just 22 children in a remote school in Uttar Pradesh. The hardship was worth it, thanks to the school merger law introduced by the UP Government, which exponentially expanded her reach and effectiveness. For a brief period, she could teach up to 1,000 students at a well-resourced, consolidated school, fostering an environment conducive to learning for both the students and the teaching staff. 

However, the government's latest move to undo this crucial amendment limits opportunities for both children and educators. With a regression back to schools operating under capacity – often with only 15 to 50 students – simply for appearances, they're inflating the number of operational schools without bearing in mind the quality of education provided.

Research shows that consolidated schools not only enhance the educational environment but also optimise resource allocation, improving facilities, teaching quality, and overall student performance. A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) study found that merging schools reduced operational costs by up to 30%, allowing more funds to be directed toward improving educational materials and infrastructure.

This reversal of the merger law is not just a step backwards but a disservice to the children and the dedicated teachers who strive to nurture India's future generation. We must urge the UP Government to reconsider this decision and reinstate the school merger law that shows clear benefits for all education stakeholders.

We, the undersigned students, teachers, and citizens of Uttar Pradesh, request the Honourable Chief Minister and the Department of Basic Education to:

1. Restore the school merger system to ensure schools operating with less than 25-50 children are merged with bigger school for better consolidation and sustainable use of resources
2. Review its educational and economic impact using verifiable data.
3. Reinstate a modernised school merger framework that emphasises learning outcomes, teacher collaboration, and financial efficiency. 

We, the citizens, educators, and students of Uttar Pradesh, believe quality education depends on strong schools, not scattered ones. We demand UP Government to restore the school merger system — for the sake of every child who deserves a fair chance to learn and every teacher who gives their best every day.

I earnestly request you to sign this petition to show that we care about quality education, not just quantity.