Kendriya Vidyalaya

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: The state government today decided to set up model schools in line with the Kendriya Vidyalayas in each block of Odisha.

In the current financial year, infrastructure will be developed to set up 162 such schools. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the secretariat.

An official statement said Rs 190 crore would be spent on the project. In these schools, students from classes VI to XII will be taught. At least 50 per cent seats will be reserved for girl students in these schools. Hostels for the girl students will also be opened on the premises of these schools.

The course introduced in the schools will follow the pattern of the Central Board of Secondary Education. English, Odia, Hindi and Sanskrit will be treated as additional languages and effort will be made to ensure that students excel in these languages. Besides, emphasis will be given to impart training to students in professional courses.

In order to manage the affairs of the schools, a special society will be set on the lines of the board. A special cadre will be introduced for the teachers, who will be working in these schools. “The model school will certainly boost education system at the primary level,” an official said.

The state has 35,928 primary and 20,427 upper primary schools to provide elementary education. Around 66 lakh children between six and 14 years of age are enrolled in schools. Of this, 12 lakh are SC and 17 lakh are ST.

A total of 1.87 lakh children in the six-to-14 age group are out-of-school. This includes 0.3 lakh SC and 0.9 lakh ST students.

The official said that in order to improve access to elementary education and to achieve 100 per cent enrolment, the state government has relaxed the norm for opening of new primary schools.

In Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) districts and tribal sub-plan areas, new primary schools will be opened only in those habitations having at least 25 children in the six-to-14 age group provided there is no primary school within 1km of the locality.

In all the districts, the distance norm for opening of new primary and new upper primary schools is relaxed in case of natural barriers such as river, hilly terrain and dense forests.