Odisha Government to reopen schools closed under previous merger policy

Bhubaneswar, March 28: In a significant step to revamp the education system, the Odisha government has announced plans to reopen schools that were previously shut down under the merger policy of the former regime. This move aims to improve educational accessibility in rural and remote areas.

School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond shared the information in the Odisha Assembly while responding to a question from Attabira MLA Nihar Ranjan Mahananda. He stated that proposals for reopening closed schools will first be evaluated by a district-level committee before being forwarded to the state-level committee for final consideration. Once approved, the schools will be reopened following policy guidelines, and necessary steps will be taken to ensure a smooth reopening process.

According to official records, 5,632 schools were merged under the previous policy, which disrupted education for many students. Additionally, 2,152 satellite schools were also merged, forcing students to travel long distances for schooling. Parents and educationists had raised concerns over the impact on dropout rates and access to quality education, prompting the government to take corrective action.