TV
In a major education reform initiative, the Odisha government will send the higher secondary (HS) school and Plus II college heads to IIM-Ahmedabad for advanced training. The move aims to enhance academic quality, curb dropouts, and modernise school governance.
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According to official sources, the training is being conducted in multiple phases. More than 100 headmasters and principals have already completed a five-day advanced programme, and the next batch of 50 such institutional heads is scheduled to depart on June 9.
Major education reform in Odisha
The School and Mass Education department is to send the headmasters and principals for training at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM). This marks the first time that the State government has adopted such a reform-driven approach, aiming to enhance the quality of education and to improve school governance.
Key areas of this advanced training include institutional leadership, quality teaching, digital education, student attendance, and resource management—especially in the libraries and infrastructure—to make government schools and colleges more attractive and competitive with private educational institutions.
In recent years, declining student interest in government schools and rising dropout rates have raised serious concerns. In this year’s matriculation and higher secondary exams, over 43,000 students and 11,000 Class 12 students who had filled out forms did not appear for their exams.
Recognising the urgent need, the Department initiated this skill development plan for school and college heads to strengthen administration and build trust among students and parents. The aim is not only to reduce dropouts but to reposition the government-run educational institutions.
A principal who recently returned from IIM Ahmedabad called the training “world-class, highly relevant, and urgently needed,” noting that it provided practical tools to run schools and colleges more effectively.
Odisha’s Minister of School and Mass Education emphasised the government’s commitment to reforming primary and secondary education. He said that after the training, focus will be placed on how the learnings are implemented at the ground level.
Education experts in Odisha have welcomed this initiative, stating that it is a strong step toward addressing systemic issues in government-run institutions. The real test, however, lies in how these strategies translate into impact on students and their results.
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“I would thank the Odisha Government for such an initiative. This is a new initiative of the Government, which aims to impart advanced training to the Principals in Odisha. They will come to learn about the New Education Policy (NEP) and how advanced education is being imparted,” the Principal of a college in Kamardha, Saroj Senapati, said to OTV.
