Enrolment drive to improve admission of students in schools

A drive has been launched in Ganjam district to improve the enrolment of students in Class 1.

The campaign, christened as 'Prabesh Utsav', began yesterday and would continue till April 6.

Teachers, volunteers and members of the panchayats, including the sarpanch and ward members, will be involved in the drive.

It mainly involves organising rallies in villages, said district education officer (DEO) and district project coordinator of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Sanatan Panda.

April 6 will be celebrated as 'full attendance' day, he said.

After taking admission in Class 1, the students will be given text books on April 6. "We have already received the text books from the government. These will be distributed among the students on April 6," the DEO said.

The state government faced criticism last year when it failed to provide free textbooks to the students for several months after the start of the academic year.

"The SSA has been conducting an enrolment drive for the past several years in the district. However, this year we have decided to take it to the villages," the DEO said.

More emphasis will be placed on vulnerable areas such as slums in the urban centres.