In a significant push to revamp primary education, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi virtually launched a flagship scheme and laid foundation stones for over a hundred new schools across the state on Wednesday. The event, held at Banpur, marks the beginning of the ambitious Godabarish Mishra Adarsh Primary School initiative.
A Vision for Vikshit Odisha
Chief Minister Majhi described the scheme as a crucial milestone in Odisha's journey towards becoming a prosperous state by 2036. He emphasized that today's students are the future nation-builders, and strengthening primary education is fundamental to achieving the vision of 'Vikshit Odisha, Vikshit Bharat'.
The government has allocated a massive Rs 12,000 crore for the first phase of the project, which will span four years. For the current financial year alone, a budgetary provision of Rs 3,000 crore has been made to kickstart implementation.
Massive Scale and Modern Infrastructure
The scheme aims to establish 2,200 model primary schools in gram panchayats across Odisha during its initial phase. Each panchayat will see one primary school transformed into a model institution.
These schools will be equipped with modern infrastructure and advanced teaching technologies to ensure a high-quality and strengthened learning environment. The foundation stones laid for the first 118 Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamika Vidyalayas are expected to become operational soon.
"Our primary goal is to strengthen the foundation of primary education," stated CM Majhi. He reiterated the government's commitment to implementing Nipuna Odisha and the National Education Policy-2020 to make every student proficient in knowledge and skills.
Holistic Approach: Teachers and Legacy
The initiative goes beyond infrastructure. The Chief Minister highlighted a strong focus on teacher recruitment, skill enhancement, training, professional development, mentorship, and career guidance. He noted that several other states have already shown interest in adopting this comprehensive model.
The scheme honors Pandit Godabarish Mishra, a noted freedom fighter, writer, and educationist from Banpur. CM Majhi recalled his contributions, expressing confidence that the scheme named after him would bring transformative changes to Odisha's primary education landscape.
Speaking at the launch, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said the scheme would revolutionize the education sector and help bridge the persistent rural-urban education gap. He confirmed the state's active implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 and mentioned ongoing door-to-door child-tracking surveys to ensure no child is left out of the education system.
