New Delhi, July 29: A political dispute has erupted in Uttar Pradesh over the state government’s school merger policy, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accusing the BJP led government of damaging the education system by shutting thousands of primary schools.
Yadav alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government had closed around 22,000 primary schools in the name of mergers, claiming the move had negatively affected students from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections who depend on government institutions for education.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister raised the issue during a discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, where he criticised both the Centre and the state government over their handling of education reforms.
According to Yadav, despite repeated claims of improving the education sector, BJP governments had failed to strengthen public education infrastructure. He alleged that thousands of primary and secondary schools had been shut across the country, with Uttar Pradesh witnessing the highest number of closures.
“Primary schools are being closed across the country, but Uttar Pradesh has seen the highest number. Around 22,000 schools have been closed through mergers,” Yadav said while speaking to reporters outside Parliament.
He claimed that many schools had been merged instead of being upgraded, resulting in reduced access to education for children, especially in rural areas. Yadav also alleged that a significant number of affected schools were located in Gorakhpur, the home district of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Akhilesh Raises Teacher Recruitment and Paper Leak Issues
Apart from the school merger issue, Akhilesh Yadav also targeted the Uttar Pradesh government’s education policies and recruitment process.
He alleged that admissions in intermediate colleges, polytechnic institutions and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) had declined, accusing the government of failing to create employment opportunities and protect reservation rights.
Yadav also repeated his allegations regarding the recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that candidates from Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Dalit communities had not received their due share of appointments and had been forced to seek legal remedies.
The SP leader also questioned the government’s decision to introduce further amendments to the anti-paper leak law, asking why examination irregularities continued despite existing legal provisions.
He alleged that several recruitment and board examinations in Uttar Pradesh had faced paper leak allegations during the BJP government’s tenure, affecting the future of thousands of students.
UP Government Rejects Allegations, Calls Claims Misleading
Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh rejected Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations, describing them as “baseless” and contrary to facts.
In a video statement, Singh said that the state government had not closed any school operated by the Basic Education Council and that all government schools continued to function.
“I challenge these allegations with facts. The Uttar Pradesh government has not taken any decision to close Basic Education Council schools. All government schools are operational,” Singh said.
The minister clarified that only schools with very low student enrolment had been merged with nearby institutions as part of an administrative decision aimed at improving resources and ensuring better educational facilities.
He added that buildings of merged schools were not abandoned but were being used for pre-primary education, including programmes such as Bal Vatika.
Government Highlights Improvements in School Education
Defending the Yogi Adityanath government’s record, Sandeep Singh said government schools in Uttar Pradesh had witnessed improvements in enrolment, infrastructure and learning facilities.
He claimed that student enrolment had increased, dropout rates had declined and schools had received better infrastructure support during the BJP government’s tenure.
The minister also accused Akhilesh Yadav of making political statements ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
“Knowing that his party is unlikely to form the government after the 2027 elections, Akhilesh Yadav is making such statements to mislead people,” Singh said.
Education Policy Becomes Key Political Issue in UP
The latest controversy highlights the growing political importance of education issues in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
While the Samajwadi Party has accused the government of reducing access to public education through school mergers, the BJP government maintains that consolidation of low-enrolment schools is aimed at improving efficiency and providing better facilities.
The debate over school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, examination reforms and student welfare is expected to remain a major political issue as parties prepare for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.