Odisha to prepare roadmap for school education

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to prepare a draft roadmap for improving the quality of education and include it in Vision Document 2036.

It was decided at the third meeting of State Advisory Council (SAC) under Right to Education Act here on Monday.

Chairing the meeting, School and Mass Education minister Debi Prasad Mishra directed officials to prepare the draft soon and suggested that pre-primary education should be a part of the elementary cycle for improving enrolment in schools and preventing dropouts.

He asked officials to instruct school management committees (SMCs) to undertake massive plantation and create a conducive environment for better functioning of schools.

Secretary Ranjana Chopra said all cluster research centers (CRCs) will be strengthened for quality monitoring and extend on-site academic support. All private schools are required admit children from weaker sections and disadvantaged categories.

At least 25 percent of total seats should be reserved for them as per RTE Act, she said.

A total of 57,649 SMCs has been formed in 58,298 elementary schools till March 2016, said the director of Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA).