Even as Opposition BJP and Congress members on Saturday alleged in the State Assembly that the quality of primary and secondary education in the State has worsened during the last 20 years, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash termed the charges baseless and claimed that all efforts have been made to provide quality education to children.
Participating in the debate on an Adjournment Motion, BJP Chief Whip Mohan Charan Majhi said the primary and secondary education has been made directionless in the State. He slammed the Government for 40,955 schools having no rooms for each classroom. There are 30,299 sanctioned teacher posts lying vacant. Fifty-eight students studying in Class V are unable to work out sums of Class II like division, multiplication, addition and subtraction. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan money is being misutilised by district Collectors.
He alleged that the Government lifted the Best Tenth list from High School Certificate Examinations as Saraswati Viday Mandirs outdid Government high schools in results every year.
Mahii further alleged that child labourers are increasing in the State due to the rise in drop outs in schools. He wanted to know why the Government is not spending more funds for development in the primary and secondary education sector when it claims that Odisha has become a revenue surplus State.
He suggested to the Government to enact rules for making students of all Government officers, MLAs and Ministers to read in Government schools.
Congress member Santosh Singh Saluja wanted to know why the Plus Two education fold was brought to the School and Mass Education fold and made the department over-burdened. Referring to School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash’s information that 56,23,474 out of 56,33,690 children in the age group of 6-14 years are studying in various schools, Saluja wanted to know what the balance 10,226 children go. He expressed concern that there are no toilets for girls in 441 schools while the incidents of minor girl rapes on rise. He alleged that a racket to misappropriate Mid-Day Meal scheme funds is very active in Balangir district.
In his reply, the Minister said that State Open Schools have been opened at 344 places in order to provide education to drop outs. By 2018-19, 32,931 students have passed through the open schools. As many as 8,666 children belonging to migrant workers have been kept in 2,229 hostels and taught in schools.
The drop out of SC students has declined from 57.55 per cent in 2002-03 to 8.35 per cent in 2018-19. Similarly, the dropout of ST children has declined fron 72.57 per cent to 8.95 per cent during the period. As many as 18,400 girls are being taught in 182 Kasturaba Gandhi Girls Schools.
The ‘Mo School Abhiyan’ has been introduced to enhance the quality of primary education in the State, he said.
On the occasion, he announced that a Mass Education Advisory Council would be constituted with educationists as its members for enhancing quality education in the sector. He said closed schools can be reopened if concerned district Collectors submits proposals in that regard.
