A primary school in Bhubaneswar. (file picture)

Bhubaneswar, April 16: Enrolment in primary schools in Odisha has dipped by around 59,000 this year. While 65.78 lakh students had enrolled in 2010-11, 65.19 lakh students took admission in 2011-12.

“This is the first time that the state has witnessed a dip in elementary level enrolment. The department is examining the reasons behind it,” said Krushna Gopal Mohapatra, state project director, Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority.

In 2010-11, 44.88 lakh students had taken admission in the primary level (classes I to V) while 20.9 lakh students had enrolled for the upper primary (classes VI-VIII) level.

However in 2011-12, only 44.32 lakh students enrolled for the primary level and 20.87 lakh had enrolled for the upper primary level, indicating a drop in enrolment at the entry level.

Authorities have attributed the dip to decrease in population and the elimination of fake enrolment cases.

“There has been a dip in population of children between the age of six and 14 and that, probably, is one of the major reasons why the enrolment at this level has been affected. Secondly, the number of fake enrolment cases have gradually declined,” said Mohapatra. To attract more students, the department of school and mass education had last year introduced the Ama Vidyalaya drive for beautification of schools across the state using several child-friendly and activity-based elements on the walls and other parts of the school building. The objective was to make the school ambience attractive for children using the school and for making learning a joyous experience.

All the 52,000 elementary schools in the state had been remodelled as part of the programme. Earlier this month, the department had organised a ‘Siksha Adhikaar Abhiyaan’ campaign which included a welcome festival called the school Pravesh Utsav to increase enrolment in schools.

“New entrants were welcomed with flowers and sweets and the atmosphere was made festive,” said Mohapatra.

A budget of Rs 27.72 lakh has been approved by the Planning Approval Board for the implementation of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, the National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level and the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in the state this year. “The money will be used to build more classrooms, special toilets for the disabled and girls. It will also be used to supply free textbooks and uniforms to the students,” said an official.