ROURKELA: Local youth and students, under the banner of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), are staging a protest in front of the Koida block office demanding introduction of science stream at the government-aided Koida Higher Secondary School, about 120 km from Rourkela.
Principal of the Koida Higher Education School Dhananjay Sahu said the institution has 64 seats in commerce and 128 seats in arts for classes XI and XII , but science stream is not available yet.
He said the school had sent a proposal to the School and Mass Education (SME) department in November last year, seeking introduction of science course at the Plus II level. “I also visited Bhubaneswar on Saturday and met the SME department director over the issue,” he added.
Sahu pointed out that science education at the Plus II or degree levels was not available within the 40 km radius of Koida block headquarters. “The other option for the local students is the only government-run Higher Secondary School (Junior College) at Gopna of the ST & SC department. Due to limited seat availability at the SSD school, students have to inevitably stay in hostels at far-flung areas of the Bonai sub-division, Rourkela or the adjacent Keonjhar district,” he said.
Meanwhile, the poor public transport system and regular traffic congestion due to frequent movement of mineral-carrying heavy vehicles made it impossible for day scholars of Koida to attend junior college at a distance of 40 to 80 km in the Bonai sub-division for science education.
As per in-charge Koida block education officer Sunil Mundu, though the SSD School at Gopna and Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya offer science education at the Plus II level, the seats there are limited.
On the day, Bonai MLA of CPM Laxman Munda met Sundargarh district education officer (DEO) MD Behera apprising him of the issue. In response, Behera said a recommendation has been placed before the School and Mass Education department in this regard. “Proposals have also been sent for setting up three Higher Secondary Schools in arts stream,” he added.
