Even as the quality of education has nosedived in the State-run schools with shortage of teachers, the State Government has done an admirable job by providing electricity connection to all the primary and upper primary (UP) schools in the State.
However, the percentage is very low in the State in terms of having electricity connection in high schools. Out of total high schools in the State, while only 40.27 per cent schools has been provided electricity connection, this is yet to be reached to around 60 per cent high schools.
As per a recent statistics made available on the development of school education, power connection has not been provided to 16 per cent higher secondary schools or the plus two colleges in the State. The States where all primary and UP schools have electricity connection include Kerala, Bihar, Daman and Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli, apart from Odisha.
While the electricity connection has been provided to only 6 per cent primary schools in Jammu & Kashmir, the percentage is 7 in Himachal Pradesh, 8 in Punjab, 9 in Maharashtra, 16 in Andhra Pradesh, 46 in West Bengal, 10 in Telangana, 45 in Rajasthan, 98 in Gujarat and Goa, 12 in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Although there is 100 per cent electricity connection in primary and UP schools in Odisha, the State is lagging behind others in terms of providing electricity connection in high schools.
While over 90 per cent high schools in Kerala, Chandigarh, Goa, Haryana, Pondicherry and Punjab have electricity connection, the percentage is only 40.27 in Odisha.
Electricity connection, which is mostly required in high schools for imparting computer and internet education to the students, the State is lagging behind other States in this sector. While there is system for providing computer and internet education to all the students in over 90 per cent high schools in Chandigarh, Goa and Kerala, the percentage is less than 11 per cent in Odisha.