Bhubaneswar, June 23: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today advised principals and teachers of adarsha vidyalayas (model schools) set up by the state government (modelled on the kendriya vidyalaya pattern) to "teach, guide and play the role of mentors" in helping children realise their dreams.
"Under your inspiration, the next generation of Odisha will take their motherland to new heights. Many Kailash Sahus from amongst our children will challenge Einstein and Newton in the years to come," he said.
Naveen said that Kailash Sahu, a senior scientist at Nasa, had successfully found out the weight of a remote star (17 light years away) using gravity, which Einstein had said was impossible.
Sahu is from a small village in Ganjam district. "Education has not only made him travel across the world to the best institutes, but also to travel across galaxies, light years away," said Naveen.
Recalling his past experience as an MP, when people used to come him asking put in a word for their wards for admissions into Kendriya Vidyalayas, Naveen said: "It was a dream for many families to send their children to these schools as most of them could not afford private schools."
Keeping this in mind, BJD in its manifesto for the 2014 elections had promised to set up model schools at all 314 blocks.
"I am happy that we have already opened 160 adarsh vidyalayas across the state, with more than 40,000 students studying there," he said. The chief minister today gave away appointment letters to 30 principals and 541 teachers appointed for these model schools.
These model schools will have classes from classes VI to XII with two sections in each class having 40 students in each section.
The objective of establishment of these schools was to provide high quality English medium education in each block with NCERT curriculum and CBSE affiliation for rural talents.
During 2016-17, 100 model schools had opened covering 14 districts. This year, another 60 were added.
There will be 22 teachers and four non-teaching staff in each model school. In the first phase, 12 teaching and four non-teaching posts have been sanctioned for each such school.
In 2016-17, 960 principals and teachers were appointed for 100 model schools, while this year 571 principals and teachers have been appointed.
