Bhubaneswar: After closing down more than 1,160 schools for having 10 or fewer students, the state government has decided to reopen those located in inaccessible areas, irrespective of the number of students enrolled. It will conduct a survey to find out those schools whose closure has prevented students from relocating because of geographical barriers or bad roads."If any school has been closed because it had less than 10 students, but graphical barriers are preventing the children from attending a nearby school, these schools should be identified and a detailed proposal for reopening them should be submitted," OPEPA wrote in a letter to all district education officers.The government took the decision after receiving complaints of children dropping out in large numbers due to closure of schools in several districts. "The schools should provide transport facilities so that children can reach the next closest school. If required, a sikshya sahayak should be deputed to bring the children to school," read the government notification on school closure.After the only primary school in Kandakutti village in Rayagada district closed as it had less than 10 students, the parents of the affected kids refused to send them to the nearest school, located five kilometres away in a hilly terrain. "The children had to cross hills and rivers to go to the new school. The parents are not aware that transportation facility has to be provided by the school to the children. All the children of the village are now out of school," said Ghasiram Panda , a social activist who visited the village last month.The government closed down several such schools in tribal areas by ignoring an order of the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) to conduct an impact assessment in the villages before closing the schools, Right to Education activists said."By closing down the schools the objective of free and compulsory education to all has been violated," said Anil Pradhan , an RTE activist.Sources said 7,030 children of the 1169 schools closed have been readmitted to other schools. A total of 673 children have dropped out.

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