Archive · 5 Sep 2026
UP School Merger Dispute Sparks SP-BJP Political Battle
The Samajwadi Party and the BJP government disagree about changes to schools in Uttar Pradesh.
The SP says many rural schools have effectively been closed or merged.
It says this makes it harder for village children to attend school.
The party is holding events outside affected schools around Teachers’ Day on September 5.
It has also distributed study kits to some children in Siddharthnagar.
The government says it has not closed any school.
It says schools with fewer than 50 students are being combined with nearby schools within one kilometre.
The government says this will improve teaching and use resources better.
The disagreement is becoming part of the political contest ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The Samajwadi Party has launched the “Pathshala Pukare” campaign ahead of Teachers’ Day on September 5.
The SP alleges that about 26,000 government primary and junior high schools have been closed over the past decade.
The party says school mergers are forcing rural children to travel farther and causing some to stop attending classes.
Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh rejects the mass-closure claim, saying schools with fewer than 50 students are being paired within one kilometre.
The government says no teaching posts were abolished and that vacant campuses are being converted into Bal Vatika pre-primary facilities.
- Who
- The Samajwadi Party, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, rural students, and education officials including Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh.
- What
- A political dispute over the government’s school-pairing and merger exercise, which the SP describes as mass school closures.
- When
- The campaign began ahead of Teachers’ Day on September 5; SP directives were issued on August 31, with the issue expected to continue through the 2027 Assembly election period.
- Where
- Uttar Pradesh, including Siddharthnagar district and Mohankoli village in the Shohratgarh constituency.
- Why
- The SP says mergers threaten rural children’s access to education, while the government says they are intended to improve teaching quality and resource use.
Samajwadi Party’s Position
BJP Government’s Position
Whether schools are being closed
Samajwadi Party’s Position
The SP says approximately 26,000 rural primary and junior high schools have been closed over the past decade under the BJP government.
BJP Government’s Position
Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh says the state has not decided to close a single school and rejects the claim of mass closures.
Effect on rural children
Samajwadi Party’s Position
The SP says children face longer journeys to alternative schools and that some have stopped attending because neighbourhood schools are no longer functioning.
BJP Government’s Position
The government says pairing schools within one kilometre will improve teaching quality, student interaction, and the use of teachers and other resources.
Future of affected campuses
Samajwadi Party’s Position
The SP presents the mergers as a threat to rural access to education and says an SP government would prioritise reopening the schools if it returns to power in 2027.
BJP Government’s Position
The government says schools retain their UDISE codes, can resume operations in their original buildings if enrolment rises, and that vacant campuses are being used for Bal Vatika facilities.
- SP campaign
- “Pathshala Pukare” programmes are being organised near schools the party says were closed or merged.
- Teachers’ Day date
- September 5
- SP allegation
- Around 26,000 primary and junior high schools have been closed over the past decade.
- Government position
- Schools with fewer than 50 students are being paired or merged with nearby institutions within a one-kilometre radius.
- Staffing assurance
- The government says no teacher or staff post has been abolished because of the exercise.
- Alternative use
- Vacant school campuses are being converted into Bal Vatika pre-primary facilities.
- Political context
- The dispute is likely to remain contentious ahead of Uttar Pradesh’s 2027 Assembly elections.