Odisha Upgrades 102 High Schools to Higher Secondary for 2025-26 Academic Session

In one of the largest breaks for Odisha's rural education sector, Odisha government has upgraded 102 high schools in the School and Mass Education (S&ME) Department to higher secondary schools. The upgraded schools will become operational from the 2025-26 academic session, stated School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond.

 

The upgradation has been approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Education under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. Of the new schools being upgraded, 28 will be science streams and six commerce, and the remaining ones will be arts streams.

 

Highlighting the significance of the move, Minister Gond said, "Several students, especially the rural students, used to go a long way for Plus II studies. With these upgradations, children are now able to access higher secondary education from their own context. This is a step further towards making quality education accessible to all the more under the state system."

 

Up-grading has been carried out to minimize dropouts of rural students, who typically drop studies because there are no higher secondary schools within vicinity. Most of the up-graded colleges have been carried out in remote and un-served areas, thus providing students with better opportunities of studying in the desired streams.

 

This follows a similar move during the previous academic year when 74 high schools were promoted to higher secondary level by the PAB. The combined effort is as part of the state government's aim to enhance higher secondary education infrastructure, especially in rural Odisha.

 

Through these provisions, the government will create an education system that is more accessible to students in the state and helps overcome geographical and economic barriers to education and accomplishes students' academic objectives.