26 primary schools in Odisha run without students

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 27:

School and Mass Education minister Debi Prasad Mishra on Thursday informed the State Assembly that 27 primary schools in Odisha are presently running without students.

Apart from this, there are less than five students in 156 primary schools, he said while replying to a question of BJD member Pravat Ranjan Biswal.

Besides 657 primary schools have less than 10 students and 1366 schools have less than 15 students, he added.

The minister, quoting official information, said there are primary schools in the state which are running without any student.

There are five such schools in Ganjam district, three each in Bolangir, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur and Khordha districts, two each in Mayurbhanj and Deogarh districts and one each in Bargarh, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Rayagada districts, Mishra said.

He also said there are less than five students in 16 primary schools in Kandhamal, 15 in Ganjam and 13 each in Gajapati and Sundargarh districts.

Besides, there are 635 schools having 6-10 students which is highest in Rayagada district (64) followed by Sundargarh (51), Kandhamal (55), Ganjam (47), Gajapati (53), Cuttack (36) and Nayagarh (30), he said.

This apart, the number of schools having 11-15 students is highest in Kandhamal district (132), Rayagada (121), Sundargarh (99), Sambalpur (67), Koraput (50), Jagatsinghpur (58), Ganjam (73), Gajapati (80) and Nayagarh (60), the minister told the members.