JAIPUR: Days after two Urdu medium upper primary schools were merged with Hindi medium schools in Ajmer district, teachers raised concerns over how students will appear for Board exams for Class 5. Teachers said that the mode of education for all subjects was Urdu, and now, two months before the board exams, the schools have been merged, which will be difficult for students.
On Friday, the state education department issued an order to merge 259 schools, which included the merger of Govt Upper Primary School Badbav Urdu, Ajmer with around 160 students, and Govt Girls Upper Primary School Urdu Medium Andarkot, Ajmer with Govt Senior Secondary School Barbav Andarkot, Ajmer with over 300 students. “Students in these two schools are taught all subjects in Urdu, whereas in Hindi medium schools, Urdu is taught just as a subject provided a teacher is available. After studying in Urdu for the whole academic year, how are students supposed to sit for their final exams in a different language? There are no clear directions on what language students will be tested in the exam or whether the merger will come into effect immediately or from the next academic session,” said a teacher from one of the merged schools, requesting anonymity.
On Monday, state general secretary for the Minorities Wing of the State Congress Committee, SM Akbar, wrote to the chief minister and director for secondary education to cancel the merger of Urdu medium schools to Hindi medium schools.
“The Andarkot area is located near the Ajmer Dargah and is a completely minority-populated area. Both these schools have been operating since 1941, and one is a girls’ school, while the other one is a boys’ school. Both these schools have been merged with a Hindi medium school, which not just affects the mode of teaching but also impacts girls’ education as their parents might not want to send them to a co-ed school,” said Akbar.
He added that due to the schools being merged, there is deep anger among the parents and residents of the area. “We have requested the chief minister to cancel this merger while maintaining the existence of the said Urdu medium minority language schools,” added Akbar.
Officials from education department, however, said that they will check the issue. Director of secondary education, Ashish Modi, said, “The schools are being merged for optimum utilisation of resources of the department. If an Urdu medium school has been merged with a Hindi medium school, then we will check it so that students do not face any problem.”
