BERHAMPUR: Deprived of facilities in own State, students from villages of Ganjam district do not mind traversing difficult terrains, including crossing water bodies daily, to study in schools of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
While the lone school of Tumba and Buratal panchayats in Gudipadara village was in a dilapidated condition and closed due to the pandemic, those institutions across the border in AP had reopened a month back and offered better provisions including uniforms, nutritious food and monetary assistance.
If sources are to be believed, around 50 primary school children from the two panchayats of Patrapur block joined AP schools in Purunagada last month. Children from Gudipadar, Liabali, Batara sahi and Laida also cross a nullah of Mahendratanaya river daily to reach their school in Purunagada across the border. This despite the fact that Ganjam administration is taking steps to improve quality of education in government schools.
Reportedly, many families in the bordering areas have dual voter IDs and the lure of better facilities offered by the neighbouring state continues to be a determining factor. Contacted, the block education officer of Patrapur, Loknath Padhy admitted that many children have joined AP schools. “As schools in the State have reopened now, we are trying to convince parents to bring their children back,” he said.
On the other hand, the Ganjam administration recently launched an application ‘E-Upastapana’ to check absenteeism of both students and teachers in government schools. The new application will let authorities know if any teacher or Cluster Resources Centre Coordinator (CRCC) has attended their respective schools or not. Block education officers (BEO), additional block education officers (ABEO) and CRCCs in all the blocks will be provided with 355 tablets instead of smartphones for the purpose.
In the first phase, BEOs, ABEOs and CRCCs of Chhatrapur, Ganjam and Rangeilunda have received the tablets through which all data will be uploaded apart from registering complaints and suggestions and monitoring other schemes in place. Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said this is a step to ensure quality education for students in the district. “Erring teachers and CRCCs will be taken to task,” he added.