PHULBANI: Kandhamal district administration has identified 142 primary schools having less than 15 students for closure. In the last two years, the School and Mass Education department has shut down 10 schools, where the attendance has gone down to just 10 students, in the district. Later, the children were accommodated in nearby schools.
The State Government had decided to close the schools for having 10 or fewer students and identified 27 such primary schools. But these schools are still running following a protest by the villagers and parents. Now, as per the new guidelines, the schools having less than 15 students will be shut down and the district administration has identified 142 such schools. It will conduct a survey to identify the schools whose closure has prevented students from relocating because of geographical barriers or bad roads.
District Education Officer Bikash Pradhan said parents are not interested to enrol their children in Government-run primary schools after the opening of ST/SC ashram and sevashram, Ekalavya Vidyalaya and Kastruba Gandhi schools where free education and hostel facilities are available.
This apart, it has been decided to take action against headmasters and teachers of high schools where HSC result was below 60 per cent. The authorities have been asked to provide extra classes on Mathematics, English, and Science on Sundays.