The Odisha government on Wednesday announced a 30 per cent reduction in syllabus for students of classes 1 to XII in the current academic year.

The government was forced to take the decision as the schools that are closed since the second week of March are yet to open.

Though online classes are taking place, the majority of the students are not able to benefit from them in the absence of smartphones. Even those who have smartphones are often unable to connect to the classrooms because of the unreliable mobile network.

Reports are pouring in from different parts of the state on how students are being forced to climb atop 150-feet tall water tanks and hills to get connected to mobile networks and access online classes.

The Telegraph in its August 4 edition had published a story titled “Battle for Education, atop 150 ft-high tank”, highlighting the problems of college students who are risking their life and limb for online lessons.

School and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said: “Studies have been badly hit by the corona pandemic. Classroom teaching has been affected to a large extent. However, we have decided to rationalise the syllabus by up to 30 per cent without compromising with the core concepts. The new revised syllabus will soon be published and uploaded on the websites of Board of Secondary Education, Council of Higher Secondary Education and State Council of Educational Research and Training.”

“The changes in the syllabus have been finalised with the approval of three committees,” the minister said.