Districts asked to complete school merger

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government has asked the administration of 14 districts to complete merger of schools with poor enrolment before reopening educational institutions for 2020-21 academic session. In March this year, the Government had initiated a merger of 11,517 schools having sub-optimal enrolment with nearby Government schools.

The schools to be consolidated include 6,340 primary, upper primary and high schools having less than 20 students and 5,177 primary schools with less than 40 students. School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the Government is receiving merger reports from districts in a phased manner.

Order has been issued for the merger of over 3,000 schools initially which is expected to be completed before reopening of schools. Odisha School Education Programme Authority officials said the list furnished by 14 districts have already been approved by the Government and collectors asked to complete the merger process before reopening of schools to ensure that students of satellite schools adjust comfortably in lead schools.

The districts are Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Khurda, Koraput, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Sundargarh.