Transforming Schools: Odisha Can Succeed Only Through Quality Teaching By Qualified Teachers

Odisha plans to transform in the first phase 1,070 schools with modern facilities and Government feels that the move would lay the foundation for a progressive Odisha. Chief Minister said the decision to transform the schools will bring new opportunities for children of the state and will help them fulfil their dreams.

School transformation project of Odisha government: It can succeed only through quality teaching by qualified teachers

News Summary

As on November 23, 2020, over a thousand Government High Schools went without Headmasters.

The strategy Odisha has adopted to replace school blackboard by smartboard is rather unconventional.

Odisha needs to address the important issue of modality of selection of schools, uniformity in infrastructure facility, and above all, must ensure availability of qualified teachers in schools.

By the turn of the 20th century, Odisha had a few High Schools. Zila School at Cuttack started in 1851. Balasore and Puri Zila Schools were established in 1853, while Sambalpur Zila School started functioning in 1858. Deogarh had the High School in 1882, Paralakhemundi, in 1875 and Baripada, in 1889. By now, there are about 4630 Government High Schools in the state and account for about 60% of the total number of High Schools of the state. Shortage of teaching staff is now a chronic problem with the Government High Schools. As on November 23, 2020, over a thousand Government High Schools went without Headmasters. 

Litigations have led to abnormal delay in deployment of Headmasters and litigations don’t end soon. Credible political concern is seldom noticed over this serious issue. Shortage of Trained Graduate Teachers in critical disciplines like Computer, Science makes the Government High Schools increasingly less popular and useful. Parents and students prefer to shift to private schools, mostly those which teach in English medium.