Odisha Government revises norms for merger of primary and upper primary schools in KBK region

Odisha government revises the norms for merging primary and upper primary schools in scheduled and non-scheduled areas. Read further to know more.

After facing opposition from all sections over its move to close down schools on a massive scale, the Odisha government has revised the norms for merging primary and upper primary schools in scheduled and non-scheduled areas. Minister of State for School and Mass Education Samir Ranjan Dash announced the change in the decision after a day-long discussion over the issue in the Assembly. The Odisha government informed the Assembly that the primary and upper primary schools having less than 15 students, and not 20 as decided earlier, will be identified for closure or merger in scheduled areas and also in the backward Kalahandi-Bolangir- Koraput (KBK) region. 

Thus, the norms fixed for closure or merger of schools in scheduled areas will also be applicable for such institutes located in the KBK region, School and Mass Education Minister S R Dash said. The KBK region now has eight districts - Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Balangir, Subarnapur, Kalahandi and Nuapada. 

While replying to the discussion, the Minister said, that the schools that have less than 15 students in scheduled areas will be merged into the ones in nearby locations. Similarly, in non-scheduled areas, less than 20 students have been set as the new norm for the merger of a school. In its earlier decision, the government had set less than 20 and 40 students in a school in scheduled and non-scheduled areas respectively as the norm for the merger. The Minister said that the number of schools to be merged will be decided as per the changed criteria. The government will also take into account natural barriers in scheduled areas while deciding on a merger, he said. 

The Minister said that 6,048 schools in the State have less than 20 enrollment, of which around 3,000 have lower than 15 students. “There are less than 40 students in 14,382 schools. The process for the merger of 7,772 such schools is underway.  Among these, 1,724 schools have less than 25 students and 6,048 have less than 20,” he said. 

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