By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 27, 2015 :

At least 27 primary schools in Odisha are presently running without students. And, there are less than five students in 156 primary schools, according to state school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra.

Mr Mishra was replying to a question of the ruling BJD member Pravat Ranjan Biswal in the state Assembly on Friday.

The minister said 657 primary schools had less than 10 students and 1366 schools have less than 15 students.

“There are five such schools in Ganjam district, three each in Bolangir, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur and Khordha districts, two each in Mayurbhanj and Deogarh districts and one each in Bargarh, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Rayagada districts,” Mishra said.

He also said there were less than five students in 16 primary schools in Kandhamal, 15 in Ganjam and 13 each in Gajapati and Sundargarh districts.

“Besides, there are 635 schools having 6-10 students which is highest in Rayagada district (64) followed by Sundargarh (51), Kandhamal (55), Ganjam (47), Gajapati (53), Cuttack (36) and Nayagarh (30),” he said.

This apart, the number of schools having 11-15 students is highest in Kandhamal district (132), Rayagada (121), Sundergarh (99), Sambalpur (67), Koraput (50), Jagatsinghpur (58), Ganjam (73), Gajapati (80) and Nayagarh (60), the minister told the House.