A report of the Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) has revealed a dismal scenario of the plight of primary education in the State.
The OPEPA, which submitted the report of a survey on primary education in Odisha done by the District Information System for Education (DISE) to the School and Mass Education department recently, said that the student strength is less than 25 in as many as 12,409 schools out of 73,000 primary and upper primary schools in the State.
Acting on the report, the State Government had issued show cause notices to 165 schools with less than five students, asking them as to why they should not be permanently closed.
While response to this show cause notice has come only from Jharsuguda district, the district project coordinators (DPCs) working under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), have been asked to reply to the clarification of the show cause notices by the remaining schools.
Besides, the DPCs have also been directed to conduct a field survey to ascertain the exact number of students in the schools having less than 25 students and submit the report signed by the concerned district Collectors by October 31.
“The Government might take a decision either to restructure or integrate these schools. There is also a possibility that some of these schools might be closed. However, before taking any decision to this effect, arrangements would be made to shift the students and teachers of these schools to other schools in the nearby areas,” said a senior official of the School and Mass Education department.