Rationalization Decision Is in the Interest of Students: CM Sai

Raipur, May 27

During a press conference held today in Raigarh under the Good Governance Festival, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai stated that the state government’s decision on rationalization (Yuktikikaran) is aimed at improving the quality of school education and is firmly in the interest of students.

The Chief Minister highlighted the existing imbalance in teacher postings across the state. He said that while some schools are completely without teachers, others have only one teacher, and there are also schools—particularly in plains regions—where the number of teachers exceeds the student count. “We are working to balance this. In some cases, multiple schools operate on the same campus—two or three primary schools in the same area, sometimes without any students. Our goal is to deploy teachers where they are needed. What’s wrong with that?” he said.

He also addressed concerns over school closures, explaining that in some instances, multiple schools exist within the same premises or where there are no students at all. “With rationalization, we are ensuring that children in urban areas won’t have to travel more than 500 meters to reach school, and in rural areas, not more than one kilometer.”

The Chief Minister dismissed the misconception that rationalization would stop teacher recruitment. “We will continue recruiting teachers. Every year, we will gradually address the shortage. A proposal for teacher recruitment has already been sent to the Finance Department, and once approved, the recruitment process will begin,” he confirmed.

He reiterated that rationalization is in the best interest of children and will help correct the imbalance in teacher distribution while enhancing the overall quality of education.

It is noteworthy that the Education Department has issued an order for the rationalization of 10,463 schools across the state—5,849 schools under the E-category and 4,614 under the T-category. This order is effective immediately and aligns with the directives of the National Education Policy 2020 and the Right to Education Act, 2009. Its main objective is to ensure balanced and efficient use of teacher resources.

Under this initiative, 10,297 schools operating on the same premises have been rationalized. Additionally, 133 schools in rural areas located within a one-kilometer radius, and 33 schools in urban areas within a 500-meter radius, have also been merged. As a result, surplus teachers can now be assigned to teacherless or single-teacher schools.