The government of Odisha has banned journalists from entering schools in some areas after news outlets showed students were bad at math, sparking political squabbles. The Union’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, addressed the state government over her decision, saying that the press, the fourth pillar of democracy, cannot be stopped from entering any public institution.
The Dhenkanal District Education Officer (DEO) on Saturday ordered Block Education Officers and school principals to prohibit unauthorized access by journalists to schools and classrooms, and to report such cases to the police. A similar directive was also issued in Kendrapara district. The government’s decision came after a number of news outlets showed how the students were in math – with 5th grade students unable to remember simple tables, official sources said.
“It is inappropriate to impose restrictions on media access to school campuses. In a democratic setting, a school is a public institution. The media should not interfere with the learning process, but the fourth pillar of democracy should not be denied access to campuses for the purpose of gathering news,” Pradhan said. BJP MP Aparajta Sarangi, who is known for her work as the secretary of the state school and mass education, said she was surprised by the directive.
“It is unfortunate and the order must be revoked immediately,” she said. Senior Congress MLA Suresh Routray said it was not the first time such restrictions had been imposed on journalists. “They have yet to access the meeting in the name of COVID-19. Journalists have been denied access to the Secretariat of State and also to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for two years,” he said.
The Secretary of School and Mass Education, S.R. Dash, defended the government and said the press has the right to report abuses, but reporters from some web portals entered campuses without permission and disrupted the atmosphere in the schools. Several journalist associations in the state also opposed the move, demanding its rollback.
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