Pradesh Congress Committee’s (PCC) Schedule Caste (SC) department chairman Ripunath Seth on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Secretary (CS) appealing him to take necessary steps to safeguard the educational rights of the SC and ST students of the State. He also urged upon the CS to facilitate basic amenities for the boarders of the hostel of Matapapa ME School in Malkangiri district. As per the Departments of Social Justice and Empowerment and Tribal Affairs, the Govt of India has sanctioned crores of rupees to educate the SC and ST students from primary to higher secondary level. With the Central grants, the Govt has also constructed many schools and hostels. The managements of these educational institutions are being monitored by the respective District Welfare Officers and Project Administrators of ITDAs.
According to the 2011-12 figures, Odisha is having 1,633 educational institutions under 10 categories and 3,451 hostels under five categories being run by the ST and SC Development Department. Out of the 30 districts, KBK districts are having more schools and hostels. But the managements have miserably failed to run these institutions properly despite Central support, the memorandum said. The members of the managing committee of Matapapa ME School have resigned in protest against Government’s apathy in providing adequate teaching staff and other facilities for a long time. No different is the situation in districts of Balangir, Keonjhar, Koraput, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj, which has badly hit teaching in such schools and has ultimately helped increase school drop out rate.