BJP accuses Congress of spreading false claims about cluster school policy in Uttarakhand
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Congress of spreading false information about schools being closed or shifted under the cluster school plan in Uttarakhand. The party stated that the cluster model is a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and aims to improve access to educational resources without shutting down nearby schools.
Former Education minister and BJP spokesman Khajan Das said that Uttarakhand was the first State in India to implement the NEP.
According to him, the cluster school initiative is being expanded under the framework of this policy to ensure quality education for every child and to make efficient use of available resources. He clarified that the purpose of creating cluster schools is to connect nearby smaller schools so that resources such as teachers, libraries, laboratories and sports facilities can be shared. This approach is also being used to develop not only secondary schools but also primary and upper primary schools into model institutions.
Das rejected the Congress’s allegations that schools were being shut down under this policy. He said that the government has not issued any directive to close nearby schools or to shift students forcefully to cluster schools. He said that Congress leaders are misleading people to serve their local political interests and to target the State government. He called this a reflection of a negative attitude towards education.
He said that the BJP and the state government are committed to ensuring that every child has the right to access quality education. He also mentioned that cluster schools are being developed in line with the model of CBSE-based Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas. According to him, the public has no confusion or doubts about the cluster school initiative, only Congress leaders are attempting to create such perceptions.
