BERHAMPUR: New Year will usher in new hopes for around 18,000 school dropouts in Ganjam district as they will be given a chance to resume their school education through a special programme taken up under the Sarva Shikhya Abhiyan.

Plans are on to have 711 centres or `bridge schools' at village level. They are expected to start functioning from January. The special schools will take in children who have left their studies and impart them training so they may become fit to get admission in school. The course will be of eight to ten month duration .

Special volunteers will be appointed to teach at the schools. Through a survey, around 18,000 dropouts have been identified in Ganjam district.

Poor attendance

During an informal chat with newsmen, A.K. Patnaik, district project coordinator of the Sarva Shikhya Abhiyan, says as per the child census conducted in Ganjam district, around 60,000 children in the age group of 5-14 are not attending schools. Through a special drive 4,000 children in the age group of 5-7 have already got admitted in schools.

Efforts are also on to improve the quality of education in rural schools as each teacher is being provided 20-day training programme.

Each teacher is also being provided a special grant of Rs. 500 to prepare or buy teaching aids.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail