Books
A unique library movement is sweeping across Odisha with district officers in Ganjam donating books to schools, bringing smiles on the faces of students.
District Collector Prem Chandra Chaudhary had earlier asked people to gift books to schools instead of giving bouquets and diaries on the New Year, District Eductation Officer (DEO) Sanatan Panda said.
Chaudhary had donated 120 books in Odia, English and Hindi to an upper primary school at Puti Gopalpur last week.
Similarly, block develpment officers of Purushottampur and Sheragada gave away books to two primary schools at Tarinipalli and Sheragada respectively, Panda said.
Several other officers have also expressed willingness to donate books to nearby government-run schools.
The children were all smiles browsing through the pictorial books donated by the collector to the Puti Gopalpur school, he said.
"We hope the initiative will strengthen the ongoing library movement that started about two years ago in the district," the DEO said.
As part of the library movement, the school administration had launched DEAR (drop everything and read) in the schools in 2015.
Under the programme, schools have to allot at least one period every week for the children to read books other than their textbooks.
The programme is also part of the national curriculum framework to inculcate a love for books among the students, an official said.
The district had received the National Award for Innovation in Educational Administration for library movement from the Union Human Resource Development Ministry in December 2015, he said.
