Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has strongly criticised the state government over the current condition of the education system, alleging mismanagement and lack of preparedness at the start of the new academic year.
According to the party, several schools across the state are yet to receive basic textbooks, severely affecting classroom teaching.
The delay has created confusion among students and teachers, while parents have expressed growing anxiety over their children’s academic progress.
The Congress also pointed to the absence of nearly 15,000 students from the recent Class X and Class XII board examinations as a clear indication of systemic failure.
The party claimed that such figures expose serious gaps in the functioning and monitoring of the education sector.
Highlighting infrastructure issues, the party alleged that more than 20,000 teaching posts remain vacant and many schools lack adequate classrooms.
In several cases, multiple grades are being taught together in a single room, affecting the quality of education.
At a time when these basic issues persist, the government’s push for new initiatives, including the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and schemes like ‘BagFree Days’, has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Reacting to the situation, OPCC spokesperson Krushna Chandra Pati said, “The government is focusing on new announcements while completely ignoring the ground reality.
Schools are struggling without teachers, classrooms, and even textbooks.
Without fixing these fundamental issues, policies like AI integration or bag-free days will remain mere slogans.”
The Congress has demanded that the government prioritise strengthening basic infrastructure, filling vacant teaching posts, and ensuring the timely supply of textbooks before rolling out new reforms.