While the announcement of the resumption of offline classes is a big respite to both the children and as well as the parents, but most of the schools and colleges run by the Government in villages and semi-urban areas of Jammu & Kashmir are grappling with the issues of basic infrastructure particularly the accommodation facilities. While most of the schools in accessible areas and newly established higher secondary schools and Degree Colleges in semi-urban areas are grappling with the issues of accommodation and other basic facilities, the shortage of the teaching staff is an issue of concern for most of the higher secondary schools and colleges established decades ago in twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu and major towns of both Kashmir valley and Jammu division. For reducing the shortage of teaching staff in higher secondary schools and Colleges there is obviously no short cut to fast track recruitment for the appointment of faculty positions to be referred to J&K Public Service Commission for re-advertisement after being left unfilled for longer periods. By all standards of understandabilities the dearth of teaching staff is not as grave as is the issue of accommodation and basic infrastructure for both schools and Colleges in remote villages and semi-urban areas of Jammu & Kashmir. So both the upgradation of infrastructural facilities and as well as the recruitment for gazetted teachers in higher secondary schools and colleges are issues of bigger public concern.
While incomplete buildings of schools and colleges can’t be completed without fixing targets for completion, the expeditious recruitment gazette teachers is the only way to reduce shortage of gazette teaching staff in both higher secondary schools and colleges.
While paucity of funds could be a reason for any delay in upgradation of the basic infrastructure of Schools and Colleges particularly their accommodation, the availability of funds is not obviously any issue for expeditious recruitment of gazette teachers for either Higher Secondary Schools or Colleges left unfilled by J&K Public Service Commission during last three years of pandemic. What merits a mention here is the fact that constructions of newly announced colleges and higher secondary schools can’t be started and completed overnight but there is no short cut to the completion of incomplete buildings of schools and colleges in the given time as most of such projects have missed many deadlines during last three years of pandemic. Keeping in view the fact that government schools are mostly preferred for education by children of marginalized groups, the completion of incomplete school buildings in remote inaccessible areas in given time would be a big respite to children of marginalised sections of the society. While incomplete buildings of schools and colleges can’t be completed without fixing targets for completion, the expeditious recruitment gazette teachers is the only way to reduce shortage of gazette teaching staff in both higher secondary schools and colleges.
