100 model secondary schools in Odisha before Nabakalebara: Minister

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Sep 1:

A hundred senior secondary model schools would be opened in Odisha before the Nabakalebar of Lord Jagganath in 2015, informed School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra here today.

He was addressing the Working Committee Meeting of Junior Red Cross (JRC), Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State Branch (IRCS-OSB) held here today.

The model schools would have classes from standard VI to XII, the minister said.

For this, the State Government had earmarked Rs 190 crore for construction of total 162 model school in this fiscal year.

Under the centrally sponsored model school scheme, these schools will be set up under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode in all 314 blocks of the state on the pattern of central schools that aims at up-gradation of standard of Odisha students.

Besides English and Odia, the students would be imparted education in Hindi and Sanskrit languages, the minister said adding that the model schools will be run through a special society similar to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) that runs central schools, he added.

Apart from this, each school in Odisha will have green fencing and kitchen garden at their school premises, the Minister said. He suggested that the School Health programme should be integrated with Red Cross for conduct of blood grouping tests at school level.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary of School and Mass Education Department Smt Usha Padhee proposed that JRC counsellors of each school should ensure proper hand wash before mid-day meal. Besides, she also stressed on creattion of Eco-Club in the schools.

Dr. Chakradhar Panda, Secretary, JRC, placed the budget and annual Action Report Plan before the Committee.

Dakshya Prasad Nanda, President, Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, Sanatan Mallik, Director, Secondary Education, Odisha, Govinda Chandra Mahanta, Honorary Joint Secretary of IRCS-OSB and other members were also present at the meeting.