From the academic session of 2023-24, Plus II education will be provided in 106 upgraded higher secondary schools, with 57 being developed under Samagra Siksha and the remaining being upgraded by the Odisha government, according to officials from the School and Mass Education department.
During a workshop organised for officials and heads of schools before the enrollment of students in the upgraded higher secondary schools, Minister Samir Ranjan Dash lauded the state government's move and urged the district education officers and other officials to make arrangements in advance for a hassle-free admission process, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The state government of Odisha made a significant announcement to commence Class XI in selected schools to reduce the dropout rate. The government identified schools located in areas with no higher secondary schools within a 30-kilometre radius for the upgradation.
During the Assembly, Dash informed that the recruitment process for hiring 2,026 teachers and 2,064 office assistants across multiple schools has already begun. According to the minister, the Panchayati Raj department has received a budgetary allocation of Rs 280 crore to construct extra classrooms in schools.
Additionally, Rs 805.14 crore has been assigned under the Mo School Abhiyan scheme to enhance schools comprehensively, including infrastructure development. The minister also mentioned that Rs 578 crore is accessible to the School and Mass Education department for the same objectives.
The minister, in reply to Mohan Charan Majhi's query concerning electricity in state schools, stated that as per the School and Mass Education department's statistics, 11,710 schools in the state lack both electricity and solar panels. The data further reveals that 41,996 schools do not possess computers, while 21,065 schools do not have a playground or other playing facilities. In addition, 6,781 schools have inadequate classrooms and 6,011 schools do not have the appropriate number of teachers as per the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR), as reported by The New Indian Express.