Bhubaneswar: In a major move to boost education, the Odisha government on Friday announced plans to reopen schools that were previously shut down as part of the merger policy of the previous regime.
This information was shared by School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond in the Assembly while answering a question by Attabira MLA Nihar Ranjan Mahananda.
Upon receiving a proposal regarding the reopening of such schools that were previously closed due to lack of students, the same will be examined by the district-level committee before sending it to the state-level committee for consideration, the Minister said.
As per the recommendation of the state-level committee, the closed school will be reopened following the policy guidelines. Once approved, the state government will facilitate the reopening of the school, he said.
Necessary procedural measures are being put in place to facilitate the reopening of these institutions.
As per official records, a total of 5,632 schools were merged under the previous policy, significantly affecting educational accessibility in many regions. This apart, 2,152 satellite schools were also merged, leading to widespread concerns among parents and educationists about students having to travel long distances for schooling.
To rectify this situation, the new government has introduced new guidelines that determine the conditions under which a previously closed school can be reopened.
The Minister stated if at least 20 students are enrolled in a school located in a Scheduled Area, or a minimum of 40 students in a school situated in a non-Scheduled Area, the school will be eligible for reopening.
