BHUBANESWAR: Two days after they excelled in CBSE Class X examination overcoming challenges of illequipped laboratories, teacher shortage and other academic amenities, students of Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas (OAVs) on Friday urged the the state government to improve critical infrastructure.
They made this demand for continued academic excellence in schools located in remote areas of Odisha.
As many as 66 meritorious students who scored more than 95 per cent in the just-declared examination interacted with 5T secretary VK Pandian on Friday through video conferencing and urged him to improve science and computer laboratories, among other things. Pandian promised all support soon.
Adarsh Vidyalayas, affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), were started by State Government in 2015 on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalayas in underdeveloped pockets of the State to provide quality education in English to rural students.
Odisha, currently, has 100 Adarsh Vidyalayas but majority of them do not have science and computer labs.
Sanskriti Khamari, student of OAV Patharchepa village in Balangir district, who scored 98.8 pc said although science lab of her school has all the apparatus needed for practical classes, it has not been made operational.
“For students from Class IX to XII, science practical is a necessity to understand theory. If a proper lab is set up in my school, I would want to pursue Class XI and XII here,” she added.
Students also said libraries are non-existent in many schools. They requested the 5T Secretary to appoint more number of trained graduate teachers, establish hostels for boys and girls and provide free coaching for IIT and JEE examinations to all the meritorious students.
Another student, Sangita Sanghamatira Nayak of OAV-Salapada in Keonjhar district, said there is neither a hostel nor a boundary wall in her school.
“Many Class X students who come from distant places have decided to discontinue their studies due to lack of a hostel. Drunkards enter our campus during class hours and create ruckus as there is no boundary wall,” said Sangita who belongs to Purunia village.
Sanskriti said finding quality coaching facility for JEE and IIT close to the villages is difficult and students do not have resources to move to Bhubaneswar or outside the State for the purpose.
“If coaching is made available at OAVs, it will be a huge help for students from small towns and villages,” she added.
This year, OAVs have posted a 81.3 pc success rate. Of 5,487 students who appeared the examination, 4428 cleared and 66 secured above 95 per cent. Seven OAVs scored 100 per cent pass percentage.