Weak student turnout: 58 Odia medium schools shut down

CUTTACK:  Blame it on parents’ growing interest towards private schools or simply the government’s apathy and negligence in respect of improving the situation. As many as 58 Odia medium government-run primary schools have been shut down during the last three academic sessions due to very low student strength in Cuttack district. Only about 5 to 10 students used to attend Odia schools.

While two schools were closed during 2014-15 session in Mahanga block, it was one each in Cuttack city, Damapada, Kantapada and Niali block. The 2016-17 session saw 34 schools being closed, the highest number in the three sessions. While Niali block recorded the highest at 9, it was 6 in  Tangi-Choudwar, 4 in Salepur, 3 each in Banki, Cuttack Sadar and Mahanga block, 2 in Cuttack city and one each in Damapada, Kantapada, Narasinghpur and Nischintakoili blocks.

The rest 18 schools were shut down in 2017-18 session and those include, 3 each in Banki, Cuttack City, Cuttack Sadar and Mahanga, 2 in Niali and one each in Damapada, Kantapada, Narasinghpur and Tangi-Choudwar block.The district administration had submitted reports prepared on the basis of surveys conducted by  officials of district Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to the School and Mass Education Department. After getting departmental approval, closure notices were served.

Similarly, going by decision for merger of schools undertaken by Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital (SATH) programme launched by NITI Aayog for rationalisation of school education besides better administration, the district administration had sent a proposal to School and Mass Education Department for merger of 164 satellite schools with 142 lead schools located either in the same campus or within a radius of 100 metres.

However, the department after verifying the proposal had approved for merger of 137 satellite schools with 119 lead schools either physically or administratively.While highest 32 satellite schools running within the jurisdiction of Cuttack Municipal Corporation(CMC) are going to be merged with 26 lead schools, Tigiria block has the lowest 3 satellite schools to be merged with 2 lead schools.

“Out of total 137 satellite schools as many as 95 satellite schools have so far been merged with their respective lead schools and the process for merger of the rest 42 satellite school is in progress,” said District Education Officer (DEO) Niranjan Behera.Notably, the district has total 1367 primary schools, 703 Upper Primary Schools and 474 High School.