Bhubaneswar: The School and Mass Education (S&ME) department is all set to transfigure the classroom environment in more than 15,000 government primary schools in Odisha.

The project aims at creating a favourable setting that cultivates Fundamental Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) skills among the primary students. The state government will spend Rs 92.38 crore for the purpose.

The first phase of this transformative initiative will cover 6,159 schools, with plans to include all remaining primary schools in subsequent phases. The mission seeks to foster interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm within the tender minds of young students by creating engaging and attractive classroom environments.

As part of the initiative, various features including colorful desks, vibrant murals and Teaching-Learning-Materials (TLM) will be introduced in the classrooms of primary schools. Wall paintings, diverse-shaped desks, cupboards, green boards, display boards, and hooks for hanging educational equipment will be incorporated to enrich the learning experience. Benches for students, essential classroom repairs, electrification, lighting and arrangements for the display of teaching materials will also be made to ensure a comfortable and stimulating learning space, said a senior official of the S&ME department.

The initiative aims to bolster the foundation of students by prioritising FLN programmes. These programmes are designed to equip every student with proficiency in language and mathematics. Specialized frameworks for curriculum development, engaging learning materials, teacher capacity building and assessment models have been devised to ensure the successful attainment of these goals, he added.

A total no. of 15,776 government primary schools in 16 districts have been selected for the development of FLN-friendly (Foundation Literacy and Numeracy) classrooms during the academic year 2023-24, said the official.