Around 800 female students expressed their disagreement with the plans to transfer their educational institution, gathering with tears in their eyes at the district administration building. These students, like others, faced a problem: they are being moved from their current class to a school located in a village approximately 10 kilometers from the city, which raises serious concerns about their education.
A recent initiative by the Madhya Pradesh government aimed at encouraging girls' education caused alarm among the students. Specifically, this concerns the relocation of Sarafa Kanya Higher Secondary School in Ujjain. On Friday, around 800 students held a protest at the district administration, voicing opposition to the change in the school's location.
In Ujjain, around 800 students from Sarafa Kanya Higher Secondary School surrounded the district administration building on Friday. They were protesting the move of the school from its current location to the village of Daudhedi. During the hour-long protest, the students loudly chanted slogans demanding that the district administration change the decision it had made.
The demonstrators stated that their school would be moved from the city limits to a rural area located 10 kilometers from the city. They noted that they do not have sufficient means to cover such a distance. Furthermore, they pointed out that the road to the new educational institution is unlit in many places, raising safety concerns.
The students asserted that they had previously raised this issue repeatedly with the administration, but their appeals went unheeded. When the students, hoping to meet the district administrator, could not gain access to him, their indignation intensified. They emphasized that if the school moves, many parents will not allow their daughters to attend it in the new location.
The students believe that the relocation will lead to a decline in their academic performance and could negatively affect the current academic year. Their argument is that parents will not agree to send their daughters to a school located so far away. Thus, the school change will directly impact their education.
Currently, Sarafa Kanya Higher Secondary School operates in Jaisinpur, near the Mahakal temple. As part of a state program, small schools are being merged into larger and better-equipped Sandipani Vidyalayas. Consequently, Sarafa School is planned to be placed in the Sandipani CM Rise School building in Daudhedi.
The administration and government claim that the new building in Daudhedi offers improved facilities. Previously, Maharajwada No. 3 School was located in the same complex. The authorities' argument is that merging schools will allow for more efficient use of resources and improve the quality of education, although the students themselves are unwilling to move to the proposed location.
After learning about the protest, ADM Shavshat Sharma arrived at the scene and spoke with the students. Nevertheless, the students insisted on meeting the district administrator. They wanted to present their problem directly to the district head in person.
Later, the Director of Education, Maendra Khatri, arrived at the district administration. He assured the students that a monitoring committee meeting at the district level would be organized soon. Only after this meeting will the final decision regarding the school relocation be made. The Director of Education stated that parent representatives would participate in this meeting to take their opinion into account. A decision on the school will only be made after hearing the views of the students and their parents. It should be noted that the Madhya Pradesh government is working on a school merger plan to improve the quality of education and the learning system, including incorporating small educational institutions into Sandipani Vidyalayas.
