Odisha Govt To Reduce School Syllabi Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has given in-principle approval to rationalize (reduce) curriculum of secondary and higher secondary school students in the State as schools and colleges remain closed for Covid pandemic, informed School & Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash here today.

“As you all know that schools are closed till the end of August and later in October Puja vacation is scheduled and no clear picture has emerged as yet on for how many days schools will be held. Already we have lost one-quarter of the academic session as of now,” said Dash.

Again as of now, it is not yet clear whether teaching in schools can be started in the next quarter or not as no decision has been taken yet on the opening of schools, he added.

“So under such circumstances, there is no other option left other than to rationalize (reduce) the curriculum; we have got in-principle approval from the Chief Minister for rationalizing the curriculum,” the Minister said.

The Minister further informed that the job for reduction of the syllabus for students of Class I to X has been entrusted to the experts’ committee of the Board of Secondary Education and State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) and that of classes XI & XII has been entrusted to the expert committee on the syllabus of the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE).

He, however, clarified that the exact quantum of reduction in the syllabus will depend on when State Government would allow schools to reopen and how many days of the academic session are left.