Bhubaneswar: State govt has decided to change the colour of school buildings from green to orange, with the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) issuing the new colour code to district collectors for implementation on Tuesday.
“It is requested to issue suitable instructions to concerned field functionaries for the adoption of the approved colour code in all govt schools, including PM SHRI schools, during construction, repair, and renovation works. This order supersedes all previous instructions related to the colour code of school buildings,” the letter read.
Under BJD, all govt schools across the state were painted green, including official buildings. However, after the new govt took charge, the colour of official buildings changed to light orange frost with an orange-tan border.
BJD criticised the BJP govt for changing the colours of official buildings and the names of schemes instead of focusing on development work.
“The BJP govt is more focused on changing colours and names rather than addressing real issues in education, such as infrastructure improvement and teacher shortage. By taking these cosmetic steps, the govt is wasting resources. At least they should try something new and innovative for the state’s growth,” said BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty.
The BJP govt also changed the colour and design of school uniforms for classes IX and X from green to light brown and maroon, a few months after assuming charge.
Teachers said the govt should focus on improving the quality of education instead of changing the colours of buildings. “Changing the colours of the building will not help in improving the quality of education,” said Brahmananda Moharana, president of the Primary School Teachers’ Association.
BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said, “The trend of changing the colour of schools under 5T scheme was started by the BJD. We are just rectifying it. The govt will not stop just by changing colours but many more developments have been initiated and will follow suit.”