School Transformation Project Faces Multiple Constraints In Odisha’s Ganjam

Berhampur: The state government’s ambitious high school transformation project under the 5T initiative has run into the problems of inadequate security measures and  shortage of classrooms and trained teachers in Ganjam district.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated targeted 50 transformed schools in his constituency Hinjili. Each school received state-of-the-art electronic equipment worth Rs 45 lakh under the programme.

But no fund has been sanctioned for security and maintenance of the costly equipment. There is also no provision for appointment of night watchman at these schools.

Three to four classrooms for Class IX and X students in each school have been developed with facilities such as e-library, smart classrooms, computer rooms and science laboratories. While the each classroom can accommodate maximum 24 students, the strength of each class is 50 to 60.

Similarly, each school needs at least two science teachers for teaching the students on these subjects, there is only one science teacher. Besides, most of the teachers are not aware of power point presentation. There is no IT or Computer Science trained teacher in any school.

District Education Officer (DEO) Amulya Kumar Pradhan said steps have been initiated to appoint watchman in every transformed high school. “We would sanction the post, if the Headmaster of the school recommends in this regard,” he added.

He further said the recruitment process to appoint new teachers and the vacant posts in the upgraded high schools would be completed by December. Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) has trained two teachers including one Arts and one Science teacher on power point presentation for each school, he added.

The government aims at transforming 1,070 schools across the state under the project in the first phase.