School merger drive: U.P. govt. says more than 70,000 modern playschools made operational

Over 70,000 Balvatikas (playschools) have been made fully functional across Uttar Pradesh, the State government said in a statement on Monday. Over 5,000 Balvatikas were inaugurated last month following the merger of thousands of primary schools.

Oppn. anger

The merger of over 10,000 government primary and upper primary schools, ordered on June 16 this year, has drawn criticism from various quarters.

It was among the issues over which Samajwadi Party MLAs protested outside the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in August.

In Monday’s statement, the U.P. government said that the playschools, set up in line with the National Education Policy 2020 guidelines, have “brought about a new dawn in pre-primary education”.

“More than 70,000 Balvatikas equipped with modern facilities are laying a strong foundation for the mental, physical, and social development of children aged three to six,” the statement added.

Basic Education Minister Sandeep Singh said the programme is enhancing children’s overall development, interest in learning, and confidence. He added that the initiative has become a “symbol of a brighter future for our children while creating new benchmarks in early education”.

Each Balvatika has early childhood care and education instructors to ensure holistic development of the students, read the official statement.