Bhubaneswar: The sixth Executive Council meeting of Panchasakha Shiksha Setu was held with a focus on accelerating the development of school infrastructure and improving the quality of education through the active participation and collective support of alumni. The meeting approved projects worth 7.73 crore for the development of schools across 29 districts of Odisha.
Panchasakha Shiksha Setu has emerged as an important platform for strengthening the bond between schools and their alumni and channelising their contributions towards institutional development. Through the support of alumni, parents, School Management Committee members, intellectuals and various organisations, efforts are underway to improve essential infrastructure and create a better learning environment in schools.
During the meeting, financial contributions amounting to 2,57,90,810 were received from alumni, parents, School Management Committee members, local individuals and various organisations for school development. With the matching grant provided by Panchasakha Shiksha Setu, taking the total support to approximately two times the initial contribution, projects worth 7,73,72,430 were approved.
The approved projects will cover classroom repairs, improvement of drinking water facilities, construction of boundary walls and school gates, campus beautification, installation of bicycle stands and maintenance of other essential infrastructure. These interventions are expected to make school premises safer, more attractive and conducive to learning, thereby providing students with an improved educational environment.
Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Jajpur and Cuttack districts recorded the highest financial contributions. This reflects the growing interest, sense of responsibility and spirit of partnership among alumni and various organisations towards the development of schools.
The meeting was chaired by Dr N. Thirumala Naik, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, School and Mass Education Department, and Chairman of the Executive Council. He emphasised the need to further strengthen the relationship between schools and their alumni and increase their participation in the overall development of educational institutions. To broaden and strengthen alumni engagement, the meeting discussed the launch of two new initiatives are Alumni Podcast and District Spotlight.
Under the Alumni Podcast initiative, successful alumni from diverse fields will be invited to share their educational journeys, struggles, experiences and success stories. These interactions are expected to inspire other alumni to contribute to the development of their former institutions. Students currently studying in schools will also benefit from the experiences of accomplished individuals and receive valuable guidance for shaping their future careers.
The District Spotlight initiative will showcase development activities undertaken under Panchasakha Shiksha Setu across different districts, highlight positive changes in schools and present success stories emerging from alumni contributions. These stories will be disseminated through various social media platforms to increase awareness and encourage wider public participation in school development.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of various initiatives under Panchasakha Shiksha Setu, discussed future plans and deliberated on measures to strengthen the participation of alumni and the wider community in school development.
Sangeeta Behera, Member Secretary of Panchasakha Shiksha Setu and SPD(I/c) the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), along with other members of the Executive Council, attended the meeting.
