Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A large number of students and parents from 35 districts of Madhya Pradesh staged protest at Neelam Park in the city on Sunday against the state government's decision to close 94,000 government schools in the state.
School Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Madhya Pradesh, submitted a memorandum with 100,000 signatures to assistant police commissioner Bitto Sharma. Key speaker Mudit Bhatnagar said that in preparation for the movement against the move, students from every district of Madhya Pradesh, from cities to remote villages, took the initiative to collect signatures against the schools’ closure. In several districts, people organised, School Bachao, rallies.
“Hundreds of schools were found in dilapidated conditions, and schools in many villages were closed, leaving the future of students in a dire situation. While there were over 1.21 lakh government schools in the state in 2015-16, over 29,000 have closed in last few years, the highest number in the country,” said Samiti convener Ajit Singh Panwar.
This has led to nearly five million student dropouts in the state in last 10 years. “We demand protection of government schools, recruitment of permanent teachers, renovation of dilapidated buildings and students’ safety,” said Samiti office-bearer Satish Ojha.
