Lucknow, June 29 -- The Uttar Pradesh Primary School Teachers Association (UPPSTA) has scheduled a key meeting on June 30 at the block level, bringing together district presidents and other senior office bearers. Participants will include members of the block working committee, block sangharsh committee, the retired teachers' cell, gram pradhans of affected schools, chairpersons of school management committees and parents of enrolled students. The agenda will focus on the adverse impact of the state's school merger policy on both students and teachers. The association's president, Dr Dinesh Chandra Sharma, stated, "Decisions will be taken based solely on the proposals submitted by the respective school management committees." Vipin Bihari, a representative of the UP Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, added, "On June 30, block-level officials, including presidents and ministers from across districts, will brief village heads, parents, and students on the ongoing school closure process and the damage it is causing to the educational environment and teaching staff." Earlier this month, the basic education department of UP issued directives to close all government primary and upper primary schools under the UP basic education council with fewer than 50 enrolled students, merging them with nearby institutions. Sharma said the department's decision has sparked dissatisfaction among parents and village heads. "Instead of addressing these concerns, block education officers are pressuring teachers to endorse the school closures through their school management committees," he claimed in a social media post. A delegation led by Dr Sharma will meet with state authorities to discuss several pressing issues, including school mergers, inter-district transfer irregularities, and teacher welfare. Despite growing opposition, the Uttar Pradesh government stands firm on its decision, asserting it is in the best interest of students. "There are 1.40 lakh government primary and upper primary schools in the state, of which about 29,000 have 50 or fewer students," said a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Nearly 89,000 teachers are posted in these under-enrolled schools. The goal is to shift students to nearby institutions with better infrastructure and more teaching staff."...