Bhubaneswar: Emphasising that education should go beyond textbooks and jobs, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday said schools play a crucial role in shaping character and instilling values, while addressing the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of PM Shri Kushaleswar Government High School in Keonjhar district.
Calling schools “sacred spaces for life-building,” Majhi said that along with academic knowledge, institutions must focus on discipline, ethics and value-based learning. “Education is not just for employment, but for building a meaningful life,” he said, urging students to remain goal-oriented and make the best use of their time.
The Chief Minister noted that the school, established in 1950 under modest circumstances, has grown into a reputed institution over the decades. He credited its progress to the dedication of teachers, educationists and the local community.
Praising the school’s legacy, inspired by the ideals of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, Majhi said several of its alumni have excelled at state and national levels, bringing recognition to the institution.
Highlighting the changing demands of education, he stressed the need for skills, creativity and innovation alongside academic learning. He also proposed the construction of a new auditorium in the school to support academic and extracurricular activities.
Majhi said the inclusion of the school under the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme would enable the development of modern infrastructure, smart classrooms and digital learning facilities. Around 800 schools in Odisha have been covered under the scheme and will be developed as model institutions, he added.
The Chief Minister further said the state government has prioritised education, with over Rs 31,997 crore allocated to the School and Mass Education Department in the 2026–27 budget. He added that around 20,000 teachers have been recruited in the last one-and-a-half years, while steps are underway to appoint another 45,000 teachers.
On the development front, Majhi announced that the Sarai–Hatisila road project, costing Rs 6.34 crore, is underway, while Rs 3.7 crore will be spent on the development of the Baba Kushaleswar Temple area.
Among those present were Ghasipura MLA Badri Narayan Patra, Telkoi MLA Dr Fakir Mohan Naik, Keonjhar district collector Vishal Singh, organising committee chairman Hadibandhu Pattanayak, and other dignitaries, along with teachers, students, alumni and guardians.
