As many as 38,400 schools of different categories in the State have no adequate rooms to run all classes at a time, informed School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra in the Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to a question of BJP MlA Dilip Ray, the Minister said 32,725 primary schools, 5,089 upper primary schools and 586 high schools have no classrooms as per the number of classes they have.
The Pileimal UGME School in Jharsuguda district’s loisigh gram panchayat, which had been upgraded to a high school in 2010-11, has only five classrooms for 10 classes from Class I to X, the Minster informed. However, he stated that a tender has been floated for construction new rooms in the school.
Mishra further informed that the State Government has been taking efforts to appoint Siksha Sahayaks and contractual teachers in order to maintain student-teacher ratio.
Currently, 22,512 Gana Sikshaks and 62,783 Siksha Sahayaks are working apart from regular teachers in various schools, Mishra further informed.
The Minister didn’t furnish replies to Ray’s questions like how many regular teachers are required and how many are on the job and how many headmaster posts are lying vacant.