State to upgrade 67 primary schools

Bhubaneswar: The state govt has approved upgrade of 67 primary schools to upper primary ones to improve access to education and strengthen learning infrastructure in underserved areas, school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond informed on Saturday.The minister attributed the decision to enhancing standard of education in Odisha and ensuring better educational facilities for students, particularly those in rural and remote regions. “Approval has been granted for upgrade of 67 primary schools into upper primary schools in accordance with prescribed norms and guidelines,” he said.Gond added that the move would enable children to continue their upper primary education in schools located closer to their homes, reducing the need to travel long distances and minimising inconvenience for students and their families.“The people’s govt remains committed to ensuring accessible and quality education for every child in the state. This initiative would help improve enrolment and retention of students at the upper primary level,” the minister added. The highest number of 12 schools would be upgraded in Dhenkanal district followed by seven each in Bargarh and Jajpur.Officials of the school and mass education department said the upgraded schools would be provided with the required infrastructure and facilities as per government norms to support teaching and learning activities.