Though general perception among people in Jammu & Kashmir is that children get quality education in private schools only but irrefutable fact is that the standard of quality education even in private schools varies from school to school. While general impression among the people is that the standard of quality education is high in missionary private schools in comparison to non missionary private schools, the fact remains that the standard of quality education in case of non missionary private schools also varies from School to School. Interestingly the standard of education even in case of government schools varies from school to school both in Kashmir valley and Jammu division. So by all standards of understandabilities standards of improvement in education in both private and government school remains the core concern for the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Undisputed fact is that basic requisite for improvement in educational standards is the space and accommodation for both government and private schools with missionary schools remaining an exception. While most of the government school buildings have been damaged over the years and await repairs for years together in villages and remote areas of both Kashmir valley and Jammu division, most of the non missionary private schools are launched from rented buildings in one area of a city, town or a village and shifted to another area against the whims and wishes of both the children and the parents in total disregard to their physical convenience. While enrollment drive is good for the future of education in government schools but enrollment without space and accommodation facilities worth teaching-learning process does not make any sense. While the non missionary private lack the facilities of play grounds, same is the case with most of government schools and more so in most of the villages and remote areas of both Kashmir valley and Jammu division. Educationists, policy makers and administrators talk about smart school but don’t have any concern for smart classes. So in case of both the government run schools and as well as non missionary private schools the issues of space and accommodation for the satisfaction of both the teachers and the students deserve immediate attention and intervention of the school education department.
Since the issue of space and accommodation for both private and government schools has been overtly and covertly compromised, the attraction for enrollment varies from school to school in case of both government and as well as private schools. Unless and until the government does not resolve the issue of space and accommodation for it’s own schools in villages and far flung areas and also does not simultaneously set uncompromising conditions on space and accommodation for recognition of private schools, the dreams of quality education are unlikely to come true in Jammu & Kashmir.
While the school education department is to be blamed for according registration for launch of non missionary private schools from rented accommodations and granting permission for their shifting to distant places against the spirit of physical convenience of both the parents and the students, similarly the department is to be equally blamed for not repairing the damaged government school buildings in both Kashmir valley and Jammu division. Had the basic infrastructure been the basic pre-requisite for the launch of both private and government schools, the disparity in enrollment between missionary and non missionary private schools and between non-missionary private schools and government schools won’t have become an issue of greater concern. Since the issue of space and accommodation for both private and government schools has been overtly and covertly compromised, the attraction for enrollment varies from school to school in case of both government and as well as private schools. Unless and until the government does not resolve the issue of space and accommodation for it’s own schools in villages and far flung areas and also does not simultaneously set uncompromising conditions on space and accommodation for recognition of private schools, the dreams of quality education are unlikely to come true in Jammu & Kashmir.
