Bhubaneswar: In a major move to overhaul grassroots public education, the Odisha government has on Sunday launched the 2nd phase of the Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamika Vidyalaya scheme, expanding the Rs 12,000 crore infrastructure transformation in the State.

The Phase 2 rollout began with foundation stone-laying ceremonies across four selected state-run institutions in the Tangi Block of Khordha district.

The developmental project is being implemented at Nirakarpur Government High School, Naramanabi Government High School, Kamaguru Government High School, and Jharasahi Government Upper Primary School. Officials confirmed that each model primary school will receive a dedicated investment of Rs 6 crore to Rs 7 crore to completely modernise its structural and academic facilities.

The foundation ceremonies were executed via a state-level virtual broadcast chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. To ensure local participation, the Tangi block administration arranged live-streaming setups across the targeted school premises. The events drew a large turnout, including Department of School and Mass Education officials, School Management Committee (SMC) members, teachers, parents, and local residents.

Pioneering NEP 2020 Compliance at the Grassroots

According to department sources, the mega-scheme serves as the state’s primary vehicle for executing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework at the village panchayat level.

A key structural reform is the formal integration of early childhood care into the public schooling track. The upgraded institutions will offer a continuous learning system starting from foundational "Shishu Vatika" (pre-primary) levels up to Class 8. This structural realignment ensures a seamless pedagogical transition during a child’s most formative years, replacing outdated grade structures with the NEP-mandated foundational and preparatory stages.

Democratising Early-Stage STEM Education

To eliminate the stark infrastructure gap between rural public schools and premium urban private institutions, the government is embedding advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning directly into the primary curriculum. The ₹6 to ₹7 crore structural overhaul equips each school with:

• Dedicated early-stage STEM learning labs to foster analytical thinking.
• Digital smart classrooms fitted with interactive screens and digital equipment.
• Integrated digital libraries giving students instant access to global learning material.

By embedding tech-driven tools into daily lessons, the state is shifting its primary focus away from traditional rote learning toward hands-on, experiential science and math education for rural students.

Standardising Early Childhood Education

A critical structural shift is the formal integration of pre-primary education into the state sector. The new institutions will offer a continuous learning track expanding from foundational "Shishu Vatika" (pre-primary) levels up to Class 8. This ensures a seamless academic transition during a child’s most formative years, establishing these model units as high-quality feeder institutions for secondary education.

Eradicating Economic Barriers to Access

The model removes all financial hurdles for rural families to curb early dropout rates. Education remains entirely free under Right to Education (RTE) guidelines, supplemented by a complete waiver of hostel fees. To resolve geographic isolation in rugged terrains like Tangi, the government has integrated a fully state-funded transport network into the scheme. This institutional support ensures that remote students have safe, reliable, and cost-free access to premier schooling.

Reviving Public Trust in Government Schooling

The launch fulfills a long-standing public demand for primary educational reforms in Khordha district. By upgrading local schools into state-of-the-art facilities, the government is successfully shifting parental preference back to public systems. Local community leaders and parents welcomed the administrative step, noting that the immediate commencement of construction work will drastically upgrade the quality of primary instruction and secure equitable academic opportunities across the Tangi sector.

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