Schools in Kanpur were closed for not meeting 19 basic infrastructure requirements set by Operation Kayakalp (Representational image).
Kanpur’s 101 primary government schools, which were closed in the middle of the academic session this year, were running in rented premises
Around 101 primary government schools in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district have been closed last week and further merged with other government schools. The situation has left several teachers in a state of chaos and confusion, along with nearly 3,000-plus children (Class 1 to 5) and parents. As per a Careers360 report, schools in Kanpur were closed as they could not meet the 19 infrastructure requirements set by Operation Kayakalp.
Operation Kayakalp is a program that was launched in Uttar Pradesh by the government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yogi Adityanath started the Operation Kayakalp program in the year 2018. It was introduced to promote the right infrastructure and create smart classes in the schools of the state.
As per the programme, the 19 basic amenities include toilets, drinking water supply, proper construction of classrooms and many more. However, many schools lacked such facilities, while others revolved around ongoing court cases between landlords and the office of the Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA). Kanpur’s 101 primary government schools, which were closed mid-session this year, were running in rented premises.
In November 2022, a 13-member committee was constituted by the Yogi Adityanath-led government to fast-track the merger of these schools with those operating from government-owned buildings. Notice was given to 101 schools regarding the shift in December 2022. This merger has currently disrupted classes for many schools, especially in the middle of the academic year.
“Students are harassed because of this,” said a teacher at a primary school in Kanpur’s Prem Nagar. “Most of these students are from low-income backgrounds, their parents are either rickshaw pullers or laborers,” said the teacher.
Reports also suggest that many children have been sent to schools that are 1 to 2 km away from their neighbourhood. Meanwhile, the right of Education The Act declares that the state government is required to provide a primary school within one kilometer of every residential area and an upper-primary school within 3 km thereof, a senior teacher notified.
The teachers of those selected schools are very worried about the effect of this disorder on the education of the children. He also shared his concern about the students who do not have any transport facility or money to come to school daily.
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