Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to reopen some closed schools, where students face difficulties in attending the institutions due to terrains.
The Orissa Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) Wednesday directed all district project coordinators, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), to identify schools which were closed due to less than 10 enrolments and where the students are facing geographical barrier to attend the nearby schools.
According to sources, as many as 786 schools (765 primary and 21 upper primary) having 10 or less than 10 enrolments were closed down or merged with nearby schools in the state. The students of such schools were shifted to any nearby schools located within 3 km. The government provides transportation service to the students in case the distance is more than 3 km, the source said. However, later, it was known that in a number of cases students were finding it difficult to attend schools in some areas due to absence of proper commuting facilities. The decision to reopen such schools was taken considering safety of the students, said sources.
The highest number 125 schools, including 121 primary schools have been closed down in Rayagada district affecting 524 students, while 93 schools were closed in Kandhamal district.
Similarly, eight schools were closed down in Angul, two in Balasore, 31 in Bargarh, nine in Bhadrak, 14 each in Bolangir and Boudh, 34 in Cuttack, 10 in Deogarh, 14 in Dhenkanal, 49 in Gajapati, 56 in Ganjam, one in Jajpur, 12 in Jharsuguda, 14 in Kendrapara, 15 in Keonjhar, 18 in Khurda, 43 in Koraput, 13 in Mayurbhanj, four in Nabarangpur, 19 in Nayagarh, 37 in Nuapada, 19 each in Puri and Sonepur, 29 in Sambalpur and 63 in Sundargarh district.
PNN