The recent announcement by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to provide free education from KG to PG is undoubtedly one of the most significant policy decisions in Odisha’s recent history. If implemented effectively, it has the potential to transform the future of millions of students and families across the state. The scheme has been presented as free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level in government institutions.
However, an important question remains unanswered.
What exactly does “free education” mean?
For many families, education is not limited to admission fees alone. Tuition fees, laboratory fees, examination fees, development fees, transportation costs, digital learning expenses, books, uniforms and other hidden charges continue to place a heavy burden on households. Unless these concerns are clearly addressed, the promise of free education may remain only partially fulfilled.
Odisha should aim higher.
True universal education should ensure that no child is denied quality learning because of economic circumstances. The policy should clearly define whether complete tuition fee waivers will be provided and whether students studying in recognized private institutions will also receive support. Many parents choose private schools not out of luxury, but because quality public education is often unavailable in their locality.
Equally important is funding.
A policy of this scale cannot depend on announcements alone. It should be backed by dedicated budgetary provisions in the annual State Budget so that future governments are equally committed to sustaining it. Education should be treated as a long-term investment, not a short-term scheme.
At the same time, Odisha must rethink the role of its schools.
The schools of tomorrow cannot function as they did twenty years ago. Every government school should gradually evolve into a Future Tinkering Lab where students learn not only from textbooks but also through experimentation, innovation, robotics, coding, design thinking, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and practical problem-solving.
Our children should be prepared not only for examinations but also for the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.
The announcement of free education from KG to PG is a welcome and visionary step. But the true success of this policy will not be measured by a government notification.
It will be measured by whether a child from a remote village receives the same quality of opportunity as a child from the most privileged household.
Odisha has taken the first step.
Now it must build an education system that is truly free, truly universal and truly future-ready.
