As many as 61 Government primary schools of Sundargarh district have been closed recently due to less than 10 students in each of the schools. After shutdown, the buildings were handed over to the Sarpanchs of the concerned village panchayats for community purpose.
Sources said, the State Government had decided to close down schools which have less than 10 students. Accordingly as per the decision of Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA), Sundrgarh Chairman, 61 primary schools were found deficient of minimum strength. Of the 61 schools closed, one each is in Kuanrmunda, lahunipara and Sundargarh Municipality, two each in Balishankara, lathikata and Nuagaon blocks, three in Bonei block, four each in Rajgangpur, Kutra and Sabdega blocks, five each in Bargaon and Tangarpali blocks, six each in Hemgiri and lepripara blocks, seven in Sundargarh Sadar block, while eight schools were shut in Gurundia block.
The classes of these primary schools were from Class I to Class V. The students who were studying were transferred to other nearby schools and the teachers have been accommodated in other schools as per vacancy. According to sources, crores of rupees had been spent for making these schools for development of elementary education but due to low enrollment of students, the district administration decided to close them down.