The State Government is committed to the Universalisation of Elementary Education in the State with the aim of fulfilling the constitutional obligation with the assistance of Central Government.

Universalisation of Elementary Education

Keeping in view the need for Universalisation of Elementary Education, there has been expansion at Primary and Upper Primary School stage of education, in the Government sector, especially in rural areas as well as backward areas.

Status of Elementary Education in the State :

• In Orissa there are 35928 Primary and 20427 Upper Primary schools to provide education at elementary level. More 491 New Primary and 490 New Upper Primary schools opened under SSA to provide schooling in unserved areas.
• 66 lakh children of 6 to 14 years age group are in-school, out of which 12 lakh are SC and 17 lakh are ST.
• 1.87 lakh children of 6 to 14 years age group are out-of-school from which 0.3 lakh are from SC and 0.9 lakh are from ST community. Out of them 56,995 Children were admitted to regular existing & New Schools under Enrolment Drive in districts.

Further to improve access to Elementary Education and to achieve 100% enrolment, Government have relaxed the norm for opening of new primary schools as follows:

• In KBK districts and Tribal Sub Plan areas new primary schools will be opened in habitations having at least 25 children in the 6 - 14 years age group provided there is no primary school within one KM of such habitations.
• In all the districts the distance norm for opening of new primary and new upper primary schools is relaxed in case of natural barrier like river, hilly terrain, dense forest etc.

There are 218 Minority and Mission Managed Primary Schools, wherein 599 teachers are receiving grant-in-aid from the Government. Besides, Oriya Medium Schools functioning in the neighbouring States are also being provided with financial assistance from Government of Orissa.

Grant-in-Aid:-

There are 691 numbers of privately managed, aided, Upper Primary Schools in the State. To man these schools, 1568 teaching and non-teaching staff are receiving grant-in-aid.

Government is providing GIA (Block Grant) to the 867 eligible Upper Primary (ME) Schools as per the provision laid down in OE Act 1969 and Orissa Education Payment of GIA Order 2004.

Supply of Free Textbooks:-

Free Text Books have been supplied to all the block points to be distributed to all students in the elementary level (Govt. & Aided) including Class-VIII in the year 2010-11. Free text books have also been supplied to the Odia students residing in outside States such as Andra Pradhesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharastra. Free Urdu Text Books have been supplied to students reading in Govt. and Govt. Aided Madrasas.

Major decisions taken:-

• 14089 nos. of Sikshya Sahayaks who have completed 6 years of continuous of service have been regularized as Primary school teachers under Zilla Parishad.
• Government has decided to extend the benefit of Block Grant to the Teaching staff of Madrasa at primary level.