EVEN as the seat strength of higher secondary schools (earlier known as Plus II colleges) is being increased every academic session considering the rising number of students, demand for these seats has remained low.
Of the total 4,24739 seats in three streams of Arts, Science and Commerce in 1,596 higher secondary schools (earlier known as Plus II Junior Colleges), 85,732 seats remain vacant after the spot admissions this year. A majority of these seats are in the self-financing institutions. The Arts stream has a total of 2,36,894 seats but 13,412 of them have found no takers.
The Science stream, which is the most sought after, has 1,43,378 seats but 53,785 of them remained vacant. While the number of higher secondary schools in Khurda district was 132, it rose to 153 this session - the highest in the State and a majority of them being self-financing institutions.
There has been no admission to 9,027 seats of the total 36,502 in all the three stream of Arts, Commerce and Science in the colleges of Khurda.
In Ganjam district, which has 136 higher secondary schools, there was no admission to 12,842 seats in all the three streams. In Cuttack district having 130 Plus Two colleges, 4,054 of 11,872 Science seats have remained vacant. When it comes to Commerce stream, at least 1,888 seats of 4,016 are vacant.
According to reports of School & Mass Education, a majority of these vacancies have been noticed in private or self-financing higher secondary schools while in popular institutions like Ravenshaw and BJB, the vacancy figure is nominal. Interestingly, six self-financing higher secondary schools in Bhubaneswar have reported zero enrolment this year in all the three streams and 75 self-financing schools have reported less than 50 per cent enrolment.
This year, admission was restricted in Nano Science Higher Secondary School, located in Saheed Nagar, owing to lack of faculty and infrastructure.In the last one decade, Odisha has seen a rise in the number of private or self-financing higher secondary schools.
Currently, there are 466 self-financing higher secondary schools in the state. Of these about 83 higher secondary schools operate in and around the Twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
Sources said there is a large chunk of HSC pass-outs that is now opting to take admission to Class XI and XII in CBSE and ICSE schools and those from rural areas opt for vocational courses, skill-training courses, ITI, polytechnic and diploma courses, as a result of which, seats are remaining vacant in higher secondary schools.
MORE SUPPLY, LESS DEMAND
Six self-financing higher secondary schools in Bhubaneswar have reported zero enrolment this year in all the three streams75 self-financing schools have reported less than 50 per cent enrolmentThere are 466 self-financing higher secondary schools in the state.
Of these about 83 higher secondary schools operate in and around the Twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar
Pic Caption: File pic of admission in Higher Secondary Schools in Bhubaneswar I Express
Image Caption
02/07/2018 - BHUBANESWAR: Plus Two admission starts at Ramadevi Women's College in Bhubaneswar - Express Photo by Biswanath Swain. [Orissa, Odisha, Education, Admisssion, Plus Two Admission, College Admission, Counselling, Ramadevi Women's Universit