On Odisha’s Public Education Model – Making public education inclusive

Source: The post on Odisha’s Public Education Model has been created on the article “Making public education inclusive” published in “The Hindu” on 20th November 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 Social Justice – Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.

News: The article discusses the successful public education interventions by the Odisha government which has led to a transformation of public education in the state.

Odisha government introduced revolutionary reforms in the public education sector through the Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAV), the ‘Mo School’ Abhiyan, and the 5T- High School Transformation Programme. These programs will aim at making government schools better than private schools in all parameters — infrastructure, affordability and quality.

This proactive approach to transforming the education system has led to an unprecedented shift in enrolment patterns, with 81% of students in the State currently studying in government schools.

What is Odisha’s OAV Model?

Odisha’s OAV model aims to bridge the rural-urban gap by providing accessible, qualitative and affordable English-medium education. This it does through the following:

1. Inclusive Education: They ensure representation for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and female students through reservations.
2. Education for the Vulnerable: Children who had been victims of child abuse, trafficking, child labour, and child marriage were rescued and prepared for the OAV entrance.
3. Coaching Facilities: To enable students to crack national-level tests.
4. Teacher Training: To address pedagogical gaps, it focuses on continuous teacher education programmes and maintains a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:25.

5, Leverages Technology: Digital tools help track the progress of each child alongside monitoring the performance of each school, enabling timely strategic interventions and ensuring transparency and accountability.

What is the Mo School Abhiyan?

The Mo School Abhiyan is a one-of-its-kind initiative that strives to motivate and mobilise the alumni community to contribute towards revamping the government schools in Odisha.
It is founded on 5 pillars — connect, collaborate, contribute, create and celebrate.

It facilitates students’ exposure to exchange programmes, sports and cultural events, and also helps in creating stronger infrastructure.

The School Adoption Programme (SAP), under the above, enables the alumni to make financial contributions to the schools adopted by them. More than 5.5 lakh contributors including ministers, MPs and MLAs, bureaucrats, professionals, and judges have contributed to this initiative.

What is the High School Transformation Programme?

The 5T-High School Transformation Programme is rooted in the 5T concept of transparency, technology, teamwork, and timeliness leading to transformation.

1. Leverages Education Technology: It focuses on the adoption of educational technology, in the form of smart and digital classrooms, e-libraries, modern science laboratories, etc. in all high schools.
2. Needs of Specially abled Children Met: It provides assistive devices and tailored teaching-learning materials for students with autism, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.
3. Focus on Holistic Development: Campaigns like ‘Mo School Hockey Clubs’ and ‘Football for All’ enable holistic development of students’ personalities.

Question for practice:

Inclusivity, technology and infrastructure are key to making quality public education a reality in India. Discuss with reference to Odisha’s public education model.