The State has 26 primary schools in 12 districts in which there is no student at all. Similarly, there are 156 primary schools having less than five students, 657 schools having less than 10 students and 1,366 schools having less than 15 students, according to informant furnished in the Assembly by School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra.
While highest five schools with zero students are in Ganjam district, Balangir, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur and Khordha have three such schools each. Similarly, Deogarh,and Mayurbhanj districts have two schools each and Bargarh, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Rayagada have one each.
When all schools with all above categories (less than zero, 0-5, 6-10, 11-15) taken together, the number stands at 2,179 and Kandhamal district tops the list with the highest 209 schools followed by Rayagada (199), Sundargarh (169), Dhenkanal (156), Gajapati (136), Cuttack (108) and Sambalpur (106). All other districts have such schools with varying numbers but less than 100.
In response to another query, the Minister has also informed that there 55 high schools in the State which have completed 100 years of existence. But the State has no school which have completed 200 years in existence, according to the information.