Kendriya Vidyalaya fails to meet people’s expectations

The Pioneer, Sept 23, 2010
Biswajit Padhi, Khariar

With the inauguration of second Kendriya Vidyalaya of Nuapada district in Khariar within a span of one month, MP Kalahandi has scored another victory. While calling it a victory of the people, chief guest of the function MP Kalahandi Bhakta Charan Das said he is committed to the development of education infrastructure of Nuapada district, which has one of the lowest literacy rates in the State.

He exhorted young men to come above party lines and use the elected representatives as slaves to bring development. MLA Khariar Hitesh Bagarti thanked people for their selfless contribution, which made the unattainable task attainable. Nuapada Collector PK Hota listed out the other development projects, which are underway in the district. Nuapada is one of the backward and border districts of Odisha where the official literacy rate is only 42 per cent with women literacy rate a meagre 26 per cent.

Sources in the State Education Department admit privately that the figures have been inflated to justify some of the Government spending in the district. Though this is the second Kendriya Vidyalaya in the district, parents though elated are apprehensive of the quality of education in the newly opened central schools.

Only three out of the six teachers in the primary classes are appointed by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and the remaining are local teachers. This puts a question mark on the quality of teaching, said a parent on condition of anonymity.

What has really pained the public here is that the new policy of admission floated by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan doesn’t recognise merit.

All the admissions are based on guidelines which give precedence to working status of the parents, said Tapas Kumar Pati. Out of 40 seats in each class, 16 seats will be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as per the guidelines. The new guideline has ensured more than 50 per cent of the seats going to parents belonging to reserved category, which has raised doubts in the minds of the parents, admitted a parent on condition of anonymity.

Principal Bhagaban Nayak delivered the welcome address and headmaster of Raja AT High School KK Das proposed the vote of thanks.