Taking forward its mission to impart quality education in English to students residing in remote areas through model schools, the Odisha government has planned to set up an 'Iconic Adarsha Vidyalaya' on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The school will have the provision of providing specialised coaching and career guidance to students passing out of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAVs) across the State. Sources said the foundation of the project is likely to be laid on Teachers' Day (September 5). The School and Mass Education department will invest Rs 100 crore in the project which will be taken up by Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited (OBCC). Meritorious students passing out from OAVs across the State will be enrolled in Classes XI and XII in the schools for which the State government will finalise the criteria and modalities soon.
The student strength of the school will be 500 — 250 each for Classes XI and XII. To be built over 25 acres of land, the modern English medium school will have all amenities including the provision of coaching for the National Defence Academy (NDA) as well as other national level competitive examinations. Students will also be provided career guidance based on their interests.
A meeting to go ahead with the project had been convened recently by authorities of the School and Mass Education department and the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan (OAVS) — a statutory body that establishes, operates and manages OAVs in the State. Sources said the State government plans to complete the construction of the project within a year or two. The school, however, is likely to start functioning in a rented accommodation till the project work is complete.
Apart from the Iconic Adarsha Vidyalaya, the government is mulling to make OAVs functional in all blocks of the State by 2022-23 academic session. Currently, the OAVs have been set up in 250 blocks. Steps are being taken to make the remaining OAVs operational from the next academic session, said an official.
