Odisha stresses on improving enrolment of girls into schools

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday asked the Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) and Higher Secondary Education department to improve enrolment of adolescent girls in schools across the state.

The School and Mass Education department in a letter on the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) for the financial year 2017-18 addressed to officials of OPEPA and the director of Higher Secondary Education, stated that number of adolescent girls not enrolled in schools, identified by Women and Child Development department particularly in the age group of 11 to 14 years is quite large in three districts particularly.

A list on district wise beneficiaries under SAG for the year 2017-18 stated that as many as 56,893 girl students within the age group of 11 to 14 years are currently out of school.

Koraput has 26,793 out-of-school girl students which is the largest for under 14 years of age in the state. Kalahandi has 21,159 number of girls not going to schools while Sundergarh featured third in the report with 5,926 numbers of girls presently out of school.

Similarly, number of girl students not attending school within age group of 14 and 18 years was highest in Kalahandi recorded at 44,292 followed by Bhadrak at 34,889 and Koraput at 29,774. A total of 2,08,940 students within the age group of 14 to 18 years of age are presently staying out of schools, the report said.