Neglect of Odia Educational Institutions in West Bengal — Students Turning Away
Kolkata, 12.01.24 — Odia-medium schools in West Bengal are facing serious challenges. Despite receiving grants from the Odisha Government, the funds are not being disbursed in a timely manner, causing disruptions. As a result, many students are being deprived of the opportunity to study in the Odia language.
One such institution, Seth Bagan Adarsha Vidya Mandir in South Dum Dum, Kolkata, is a reputed Bengali-medium higher secondary school where former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya once served as a teacher. Former Education Minister Satyasadhan Chakraborty also served as a principal there. Thousands of students once studied at the school, with nearly five to six sections per class.
However, in recent years, student numbers have drastically declined. According to school teachers, this trend began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued since then. As the school approached its 75th anniversary, teachers and guardians have been striving to restore student enrollment to its previous level. The issue has been brought to the attention of current Education Minister Bratya Basu, with requests for appropriate action.
A report published in Anandabazar Patrika on January 3 noted that the school’s current student strength has dropped to around 150, while it still has around 25 teachers, creating a stark imbalance between students and staff.
Similarly, the Upendra Bhanja Higher Secondary Odia Medium School in Titagarh, North 24 Parganas, once earned a strong reputation due to adequate teacher availability and student participation. Many of its former students have gone on to achieve professional success.
However, the school is now in crisis due to a severe shortage of teachers, declining student numbers, concerns about the quality of education, and a growing apathy among parents toward their mother tongue, Odia.
It is particularly distressing that despite having 25 teachers currently working at Seth Bagan Adarsha Vidyalaya, there are only about 150 students.
The headmaster of Upendra Bhanja Vidyapitha, the school’s managing committee, alumni, and the teachers’ association Golden Friends of Titagarh Upendra Bhanja Vidyapitha have formally reported the matter to Hon’ble Education Minister Bratya Basu, the West Bengal School Education Commissioner, and the Education Secretary. However, no concrete outcome has emerged so far. Golden Friends has pledged to take all necessary steps to resolve the teacher shortage issue urgently. The school administration, including the principal and managing committee, is actively supporting the effort.
Teachers are continuously working to ensure students achieve excellent results in both secondary and higher secondary exams through quality education.
Efforts are also underway to draw the attention of the Odisha Government’s Department of Education and its counterpart offices in West Bengal to help resolve the crisis facing Odia-language education in the state.
Golden Friends of Titagarh Upendra Bhanja Vidyapitha — led by President Udayanath Mallik, Secretary Ganesh Mishra, Treasurer Surama Raut, former teachers Dola Gobinda Panda and Nabaghan Samal, alumni members Surendra Kumar Raut, Hemanta Kumar Bishwal, Pramod Kumar Bishwal, Saroj Kumar Samal, Harishchandra Pradhan, Bhanja Dhara editor Amar Kumar Pattnayak, and special members Santosh Kumar Patra, Kishore Kumar Tripathy, Niranjan Pati, Debendra Patra, among others — have issued a statement highlighting the issue. They believe that resolving the teacher shortage is key to reviving this once-prestigious institution.
Meanwhile, the first-ever Odia Language Conference is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar from February 3 to 5, aiming to promote the dignity of the Odia language.
However, Odia language lovers have expressed deep sorrow over the deteriorating condition of Odia education in the neighboring state of West Bengal.
