CM lays foundation stone for 118 Godabarish Mishra primary schools

Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi launched the Godabarish Mishra Adarsh Primary School scheme and laid the foundation stone virtually for 118 Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamika Vidyalayas across the state, at Banpur on Wednesday.Majhi said the scheme would play a crucial role in Odisha’s journey towards becoming a prosperous state by 2036, as today’s students are the future citizens and nation builders. He described the initiative as a milestone towards achieving the vision of Vikshit Odisha, Vikshit Bharat.Under this scheme, 2,200 model primary schools will be established in gram panchayats across the state in the first phase over the next 4 years at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore. A budgetary provision of Rs 3,000 crore was made in the current financial year for its implementation.He said each panchayat will have one primary school developed into a model institution equipped with modern infrastructure and advanced teaching technologies to ensure quality education and a strengthened learning environment. The 118 schools whose foundation stones were laid on the day are expected to become operational soon.“Our primary goal is to strengthen the foundation of primary education. Through the successful implementation of Nipuna Odisha and the National Education Policy-2020, we are committed to making every student proficient in knowledge and skills. Along with the modernisation of schools, we are also emphasising the recruitment of teachers and enhancement of their skills,” the CM said.Recalling the contribution of Pandit Godabarish Mishra, a noted freedom fighter, writer and educationist from Banpur, he said the scheme named after him would bring transformative changes to Odisha’s primary education system. He also highlighted initiatives for teacher training, professional development, mentorship and career guidance under the scheme, adding that several other states showed interest in adopting it as a model.Speaking on the occasion, school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond said the scheme would bring revolutionary changes in the education sector and help bridge the rural-urban education gap. He said the state govt implemented the National Education Policy-2020 and is conducting door-to-door child-tracking surveys to ensure no child is left out of the education system.