Paralakhemundi: After demarcation of borders between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh post Independence, Chapara Zilla Parishad High School of Odisha became a part of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.
Scores of Odia people have been living in the area. But their children studying in this high school allege that they are deprived of Odia textbooks in the current year.
From November 2, the schools in Andhra Pradesh have reopened, but the students have not got Odia textbooks till date. As examinations are drawing closer, they are worried about how they will appear the test without reading the books at all.
As per the agreement between the two governments, Odisha will cater to the needs of Odia textbooks for Odia students in schools in Andhra Pradesh while the Andhra government will cater to the needs of Telugu textbooks to Telugu students studying in Odisha in the beginning of the academic session.
As a result, the studies of nearly 12,500 Odia students were affected due to the unavailability of Odia textbooks. The Odisha government was supposed to provide textbooks to Odia students (upto class-10) in June.
According to reports, Odia students are studying in 185 schools (in the parts of Odia speaking tracts) in Srikakulam district. Besides, there are scores of Odia students in various schools in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.
“Due to unavailability of textbooks in Odia language, students are not interested to study in Odia language. For this problem, their number is falling in schools in the fringe districts of Andhra Pradesh,” lamented students Puspa Majhi, Swati Dalei and Madhusudan Majhi.
On the other hand, the Andhra government with help of Odia teachers has been printing textbooks of Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Social Studies and Environment Science and providing them to Odia students every year.
But, Odia textbooks are not available, said B Rabinda Kumar, Science teacher of Chapara Zilla Parishad High School.
PNN