It’s shocking. 94 per cent of secondary schools in Odisha have no science laboratories. For this dubious distinction, the State has even fallen behind the north-eastern States to finish last in the country. Though this is a Government flip-flop, students seemingly are at the receiving end as unlike in other States, practical exam is simply non-existent here. While science is a subject of experimentation and practical work, secondary schools (10th std.) under Odisha Government have virtually reduced it to a rote manual.
According to the 2014 data of Unified District Information System on Education (UDISE), with integrated science labs in mere 6.6 per cent of over 9,423 secondary schools, Odisha languishes at the bottom in the country. Even, financially weak north-eastern States on average have science labs in over 33 per cent secondary schools. Worse is as high as 35 - 45 per cent secondary schools in its neighbouring States like Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand have science labs.
Significantly, these very States conduct internal practical examination for their 10th standard students. The UDISE estimated that on average over 42 per cent secondary schools in India have integrated science labs. Noted organisations like Pratham attribute the poor show by State in national level examinations for IIT and medical to this weak foundation in the State. Incidentally, north-east students’ performance in such examinations is a shade up than Odisha.
Educationalists like late Abani Baral often slammed the Government for deliberately creating an uneven field for students of rural and underprivileged sections thereby indirectly promoting private English-medium institutions. Incidentally, all ICSE and CBSE affiliated schools in State have well equipped science labs. Even, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) hascriticised Odisha Government’s attitude towards science learning.
The progress-sheet in 2014-15 also looks no enthusing. Data with State School and Mass Education Department reveals that of the over 1,670 secondary schools taken up for setting up science labs during the last five years, realisation become possible in only around 370 schools till date. The order looks tall as no initiative has been forthcoming from the Government to fill up even the approved 754 posts of lab attendants in schools despite commissioning of around 300-odd science labs in last five years. Moreover, the State has only around five per cent trained science teachers positioned in over 9,000 secondary schools. For this, the State has come up for criticism in the Project
Approval Board (PAB) meeting in Delhi last year for inconsistencies in educational indicators and slow outcome in physical progress. It needs mentioning that when Bihar saw an improvement in setting science labs in schools by 10 per cent in 2014, Odisha could record a mere 1.2 per cent increase. However under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA), the State had asked funds for setting up of integrated science labs in 500 more-schools in 2014-15 and approval was given for around 21 schools only.