The status of elementary education in western Odisha 

 By Ghasiram Panda

 

Elementary education is the foundation for development of any individual. To strengthen the elementary education system and make it qualitative, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 was enacted. This recognizes elementary education as a fundamental right of children between 6 to 14 years   under Article 21 A of the Indian constitution. It was expected that the enactment of this law will bring another window of opportunity for a drastic reforms of the elementary education system. However the state of affairs is still very poor and raising questions on the readiness of the state to implement the Act. This is an attempt to reflect upon few dimensions of the present status of the elementary education in the above mentioned districts. Secondary data and information available in government sources have been used and analyzed for this purpose. However the information available is not of very recent. Hence there might have some progress in compare to the data mentioned.

 

Schools in neighborhood:

The number primary, upper primary and secondary schools available in the districts of Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh,  Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and  Sundargarh are as mentioned in the table below:

SL	DISTRICT	PRIMARY
		DEPT. OF EDN	SSD	LOCAL BODY	AIDED	PVT UNAIDED	OTHERS	CENTRAL GOVT	UNRECOGNISED	TOTAL
1	BARGARH	934	47	0	2	3	0	0	36	1022
2	BOLANGIR	1294	5	0	0	20	0	0	3	1322
3	BOUDH	510	6	0	0	10	0	0	9	535
4	JHARSUGUDA	392	7	0	2	6	0	0	16	423
5	KALAHANDI	1604	1	0	0	7	0	0	17	1629
6	NUAPADA	576	8	0	0	2	2	0	6	594
7	SAMBALPUR	869	23	0	12	19	1	0	5	929
8	SONEPUR	585	3	0	0	11	0	0	15	614
9	SUNDERGARH	1536	59	0	142	51	0	0	36	1824

 

SL	DISTRICT	UPPER PRIMARY
		DEPT. OF EDN	SSD	LOCAL BODY	AIDED	PVT UNAIDED	OTHERS	CENTRAL GOVT	UNRECOGNISED	TOTAL
3	BARGARH	636	35	0	50	29	2	0	26	778
5	BOLANGIR	871	23	0	14	52	3	0	6	969
6	BOUDH	283	5	0	1	11	0	0	1	301
14	JHARSUGUDA	249	26	0	18	11	0	2	19	325
15	KALAHANDI	667	24	0	27	54	0	0	30	802
25	NUAPADA	393	34	0	23	19	1	0	12	482
28	SAMBALPUR	455	19	0	24	44	0	0	20	562
29	SONEPUR	326	7	0	21	13	0	0	11	378
30	SUNDERGARH	776	30	0	42	61	2	2	35	948

 

SL	DISTRICT	SECONDARY									TOTAL SCHOOLS
		DEPT. OF EDN	SSD	LOCAL BODY	AIDED	PVT UNAIDED	OTHERS	CENTRAL GOVT	UNRECOGNISED	TOTAL
3	BARGARH	148	4	0	115	69	0	2	4	342	2142
5	BOLANGIR	171	7	0	133	45	0	3	3	362	2653
6	BOUDH	41	3	0	26	7	0	2	0	79	915
14	JHARSUGUDA	63	3	0	35	27	0	2	9	139	887
15	KALAHANDI	169	17	0	106	35	1	2	7	337	2768
25	NUAPADA	57	5	0	61	18	0	4	5	150	1226
28	SAMBALPUR	110	10	0	65	37	1	2	10	235	1726
29	SONEPUR	62	1	0	51	19	0	2	5	140	1132
30	SUNDERGARH	202	35	0	99	104	0	7	13	460	3232

 

(Source: http://opepa.odisha.gov.in/website/Achievement.aspx)

The above tables show that the education is still mostly dependent upon the government schools. However there is an increase presence of private schools in upper primary and secondary level. Also the tables reflect that a good number of unrecognized schools are functioning in every district within the knowledge of administration!

The Section 6 of the RTE Act says that the appropriate government shall establish, within such areas or limits of neighborhood, as may be prescribed, a school, where it is not so established, within a period of three years from the commencement of this Act.   The Odisha State rules have defined that:

1. In respect of the children in class I – V, a school shall be established within a walking distance of one kilometer of the neighborhood
2. In respect of the children in class VI – VIII, a school shall be established within a walking distance of three kilometers of the neighborhood

For the purpose of determining and for establishing neighborhood schools the government is mapping school every year.

The below table is the Habitation/School Mapping carried out in the year 2015:

Primary
State – Odisha

Sl.No.	Name of Block/Municipal Area	Total Habitations	Habitations Covered by Primary School *	Habitations without Primary School (not eligible for opening of PS)	Habitations eligible for PS *
3	BARGARH	2541	2507	34
5	BOLANGIR	2442	2396	46
6	BOUDH	1273	1123	150
25	NUAPARA	2340	2235	105
28	SAMBALPUR	2278	2138	140
29	SUBARNPUR	1199	1152	47
30	SUNDARGARH	6877	6810	67

 

Upper Primary

S. No.	Name of Block/ Municipal Area	Total No. of Habitations	Habitations Covered by Upper Primary School*	Habitations without Upper Primary Schools (not eligible for opening of UPS)	Habitations eligible for UPS*
3	BARGARH	2541	2522	19
5	BOLANGIR	2442	2404	38
6	BOUDH	1273	1193	80
14	JHARSUGUDA	1002	995	7
15	KALAHANDI	3847	3739	108
25	NUAPARA	2340	2290	50
28	SAMBALPUR	2278	2217	61
29	SUBARN PUR	1199	1155	44
30	SUNDARGARH	6877	6792	85

 

The tables reflect that none of the districts are left with place eligible for establishing new schools. However every district is having habitations not eligible for opening of new primary and upper primary schools. Districts like Boudh, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Kalahandi are having more than hundred habitations not having a school. We can expect that the children in between 6 to 14 years must have been enrolled in the nearby schools. In case it is more than the distance fixed then they are entitled for an escort and transport allowance of INR 3000 each per annum.

School closure:

School having 15 or less than 15 enrolments:

Sl.No	Dist	Primary	Upper Primary	Total
3	Bargarh	85	1	86
5	Bolangir	70	2	72
6	Boudh	40	1	41
14	Jharsuguda	39	1	40
15	Kalahandi	64	1	65
25	Nuapada	51	1	52
28	Sambalpur	89	0	89
29	Sonepur	59	2	61
30	Sundargarh	129	7	136

 

These above mentioned schools were closed in two different phases. In the first phase the School & Mass Education Department Vide letter No. 3548, dt 21.02.2015 issued orders for closure of schools having five or less than five enrolment. In the second phase in the year 2016 schools having 10 or less than 10 enrolment were closed.  In a recent development in the year 2017 vide letter No 4924 (30) dated 22.06.17 the State Project Director, OPEPA has initiated the process of closure of schools having 15 or less than 15 enrolment. The government has the plan of closure / merger of schools having 25 or less than 25 enrolments which will affect more than 12500 schools.

Transport and Escort:

The children of difficult circumstances facing danger to attend the school have been provided the Transport and Escort facilities during 2015-16 as per following

• The Unit Cost @ Rs.3,000/- per child per annum.
• The district-wise provision of Transport and Escort facilities as follows.

 

Sl No	Name of the district	No. of children approved  for allowance
3	BOLANGIR	14
7	JHARSUGUDA	428
8	KALAHANDI	11
18	NUAPADA	4
20	SAMBALPUR	40
21	SONEPUR	52
22	SUNDERGARH	47

 

In a situation where schools are being closed and districts are having hundreds of habitations without schools the numbers of students approved for allowance are very minimal.

Fulfilling norms and standards:

An all weather building consisting of at least one class room for every teacher and one office cum store cum head teacher room, barrier free access, separate toilet for boys and girls, safe and adequate drinking water facility, kitchen, playground and boundary wall or fencing is one of the minimum standards fixed as per the Right to Education Act. The table below reflects the status:

State level Report on School Infrastructure

Sl. No.	Disrtict Name	Govt. School	No Toilet		No Drinking Water	No Electricity	No Play Ground	No Ramp	No Kitchen Shed	No Building	Boundary Wall
			Common	Girls							Yes	No	Incomplete
3	BARAGARH	1809	410	337	0	1359	1337	815	1137	14	764	276	768
5	BOLANGIR	2369	460	316	0	2005	2034	1172	1303	90	921	834	604
6	BOUDH	851	293	534	0	718	695	411	454	38	507	306	36
14	JHARSUGUDA	740	210	244	0	513	560	116	530	7	451	150	139
15	KALAHANDI	2468	1427	1436	0	2127	2141	1168	1617	232	795	1159	492
25	NUAPADA	1063	275	734	0	913	902	146	0	25	366	484	211
28	SAMBALPUR	1481	326	182	0	1156	1096	138	971	19	780	246	455
29	SONEPUR	985	320	144	0	754	849	490	708	13	411	332	241
30	SUNDERGARH	2630	409	1644	0	2099	2101	893	1570	129	1146	948	534

 

(source: http://opepa.odisha.gov.in/SchoolReports/SchoolInfrastructureReports.aspx)

School having single teacher ( 2015 -16):

 

SL NO	Disrtict Name	One Teachers
3	BARAGARH	44
5	BOLANGIR	206
6	BOUDH	10
14	JHARSUGUDA	7
15	KALAHANDI	155
25	NUAPADA	12
28	SAMBALPUR	73
29	SONEPUR	73
30	SUNDERGARH	272

 

(Source: http://opepa.odisha.gov.in/EPIS/TeacherAvailabilityReports.aspx)

 

Having a single teacher in school is a gross violation of the norms and standard fixed under RTE. The above table reflects that still single teacher schools are there in each and every district. The highest schools with single teacher are in Sundargarh followed by Balangir and Kalahandi.

Regulating private educational Institutions:

 

SL	DISTRICT	Primary	Upper Primary	Total
1	BARGARH	3	29	32
2	BOLANGIR	20	52	72
3	BOUDH	10	11	21
4	JHARSUGUDA	6	11	17
5	KALAHANDI	7	54	61
6	NUAPADA	2	19	21
7	SAMBALPUR	19	44	63
8	SONEPUR	11	13	24
9	SUNDERGARH	51	61	112

 

Responding to a questions in the Odisha State Assembly the then Minister of school and mass education shared that in 2009 – 10 students admitted in private primary schools were 549161 where as in the year 2015 – 16 this has reached to 992117. This is a hike 14.31 %. Accordingly the numbers of private managed schools have been increased in each and every district. The number mentioned in the above table is reflecting a very small portion of the presence of private managed school. In real, the department doesn’t have updated information on the presence of private managed educational institutions despite having a strong regulating mechanism in build within RTE Act. Running of privately managed educational institutions without having a certificate of recognition (CoR) from the competent authority is a violation of Section 18 of the Act.  Schools having CoR should have been displayed in the OPEPA web site. As on today not a single name is displayed as none of the privately managed school is having the CoR.

Discrimination free schooling:

Section 8 (C) and 9 (C ) of the RTE Act Sec 9 (c) of the Right to Education Act says ‘Every local authority shall ensure that the child belonging to weaker section and the child belonging to disadvantaged group are not discriminated against and prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education on any ground’. The then Commissioner cum Secretary Smt Usha Padhee, IAS also issued two different orders i.e no 10400/ OPEPA/ M(CNPUS) – 290, dated 27.11.2014 to declare the school premises as ‘Discrimination Free Zone’ and no 10401/ OPEPA/ M(CNPUS) – 290, dated 27.11.2014 to remove the cast tagged in school’s name. After almost one and half year an information using RTI on 4th June, 2016 reveled that neither the School and Mass Education Department nor OPEPA have any database on this.

Key Suggestions:

1. Strengthening community and student participation on effective schooling by strengthening school management committee, school cabinet and proper implementation of school development plan
2. Effective implementation of the following orders and circulars:
3. Order of Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights No 1683/ OSCPCR – 593/15 dated 24.06.2016 on closure of schools emphasizing impact assessment of each school before closure / merger
4. Order of Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights No1461/17/1303/OSCPCR, dated20.7.2017 on implementation of discrimination free schooling provision within a fixed timeframe.
5. Notification 30.12.14 on guideline to check absenteeism emphasizing monitoring of students in a specific interval of time by authorities and develop a data base of drop out students in a monthly basis at district level.
6. No 9317 dated 19. 9 16 guideline for 25% admission of socially and economically weaker sections of the society in private school
7. Regulating the private educational institutions by ensuring Certificate of Recognition.

Contact Author: 

Mob: 9438341794

ghasirampanda@gmail.com