JAGATSINGHPUR: Shyamarani (name withheld) is a Class VII student of Gopal Vidyapitha High School, in Jagatsinghpur block. She apparently also studies at Kutamchandi Upper Primary School in the same block. The admission has been done under same Aadhaar Card but her unique student ID and Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) numbers are different in the two schools.
Similar is the case of Animika (not real name) who has been enrolled in Class II of Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir as well as Class III in Rayankpatana Primary school. Sridevi (not real name) has double admissions in Class VI in Haramani Devi Public School and Narendra Nath Nodal Bidyapitha in Erasama block while another student is simultaneously enrolled in Class III in Nuapari Project Primary School and Saraswati Sishu Mandir in Kortal under Nuagaon block.
These are no random cases of enrolment, nor are these instances of students with same names. There are over 6,000 such students who are enrolled in more than one school at the same time. With the Odisha government merging and closing down schools with low student intake, sources in Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan (SSA), Jagatsinghpur said, fearing closure, many schools allegedly have resorted to rigging enrollment numbers with double or triple admissions of students.
In the current academic session, around 6,062 out of 1.61 lakh students enrolled under the scheme in the district have been found to be doubly enrolled in government-run primary schools, high schools and also private schools. There are 272 high schools and 1148 primary schools in the district.
Sources said many government-run primary schools apart from private schools were found to have enrolled the same students to increase intake to obtain No Objection Certificate (NOC) and recognition from the government. The irregularities were detected when students with the same Aadhaar card number were found with different UDISE codes. Sources said many schools had not even deleted name of students from the admission register after issue of transfer certificates.
The multiple enrolments also adds to speculation on misuse of funds under schemes like mid-day meals, books, cycles, study materials, shoes, dress materials and other benefits that students are entitled to. Some teachers allege that the manipulation have been glossed over by School and Mass Education Department officials in the district.
Contacted, district project coordinator, SSA, Sapan Kumar Jena admitted that nearly 6,062 students were found to have been doubly enrolled in various schools here. “The department has directed all block education officers (BEO) for verification. Verification is still underway and will take another two to three weeks to complete. After finalisation of verification, stern action will be taken against the errant employees for manipulation in enrollment,” Jena added.
The School and Mass Education department recently revised the merger plan and clarified that elementary and secondary schools having enrolment less than or equal to 15 in Scheduled and KBK areas and those having less than 20 students in other areas will be merged with schools nearby, irrespective of distance.
It had initiated the process for closure of around 7,700 elementary and secondary schools in the first phase of which around, 900 have already been shut.