For the past many years, the government schools in Jammu and Kashmir played a very important role in providing quality education to all the students, particularly the poor. They have always remained fundamental means of education for the children of poor masses. The performance of the government schools from academics to co-curricular activities are always good and praiseworthy. About the performance of the government schools in the recently declared 10th and 12th class results, almost all schools have been applauded for their very good performance however, only twenty schools among hundreds in the Kashmir valley performed less due to their genuine issues but their performance in other activities like co-curricular activities cannot be ignored. This does not mean that all government schools are performing less in board results. Despite good results of the government schools for class 10th and 12th, the social media platforms are always sharing stories and news of poor results of few government schools that are hurting the sentiments of the good performers and the real nation builders who are working honestly and proudly with dedication in all other government schools. Dismal performance of a few government Schools in board results is always having many genuine reasons behind but nobody is listening and admitting. The higher authorities of the education department always act in a haste to suspend innocent teachers for low results due to public and social media pressures and to save their own skin from the higher ups of the government. Teachers should be always held accountable and responsible and punished for poor results and performances but the higher authorities should also view and analyse the same cases from every point and angle so that innocent teachers are not being punished for no faults. I shall not support teachers to cover up their failures; I want outstanding performance from government school students in all results and activities as teachers receive huge salaries paid by the public in the form of various taxes. Who is responsible for poor results, where the problem lies, there are multitude of reasons responsible. Majority of teachers in government schools are delivering their lessons very sincerely and effectively for the welfare of students but the students in few schools do not perform well in board results and the same teachers are always held responsible by the higher authorities of the education department without knowing and understanding the actual reasons. When government schools perform well in any result or activity, the credit is shared by all the stakeholders and even non stakeholders feel proud in sharing the credit. However, if they fail to perform in any board result or activity especially in 10th and 12th class board results, it is the teacher only who is held responsible and accountable for it. Isn’t it unfair with the government teachers?
The students admitted in the government schools generally belong to the disadvantaged and poor parents who mostly work as labourers or other subsistence jobs. The educated parents of the rich and middle classes admit their wards in private schools. The government teachers are yet to ready and admit their wards in their own schools. The students received by the government lack basic facilities, parental support or other facilities usually available to the students of private schools. The government schools are always left at the mercy of almighty Allah. Despite surplus teachers in the education department, most government schools lack one or more subject specific teachers particularly in subject science and mathematics and with the result, an Urdu or social science teacher has to teach either science or mathematics that becomes one of the reasons for poor results in government schools. Hundreds of Subject specific government teachers are working in many offices like Zonal Education Offices, DIETs’, SCERT, Chief Education Offices and even DSEK Offices have affected the academics of the poor students. The teachers working in offices are being needed in the schools for accountability in terms of academics but not in offices for clerical and other work because they have been appointed for teaching purposes only. It is pertinent to mention that many government institutions are without headmasters and principals that also contribute to the poor results in schools. Lack of accountability and work culture in some government schools is another reason for poor results. Work culture in some government schools has developed in such a way that they have become strong repulsion forces for the parents of the rich and the poor and they do not trust the government education system as a whole. They think that admitting their wards in government school is only futile and a waste of time. If the same process continues unabated, the problem is likely to exacerbate more in future. Lack of supervision for classes by the head of institutions and the arrival and departure by teachers at their own whims has become a routine in some government schools. Even in some cases, few government teachers are engaged in household activities during duty hours that affect teaching of students very much. Unnecessary leaves more than one or two months by teachers with no entry on service books has become another reason. Unnecessary leaves by teachers also affects teaching of students very badly and has a direct impact on their results. Lack of supervision by higher officials of the education department for knowing the problems faced by students and teachers in government schools is another reason. Higher officials from the education department visit any particular school only either on complaint basis or attending the special function. In rare cases, they visit the selected schools for general check-up where they mostly enquire about the attendance of teachers, MDM, fund position and hardly check the academic activities and progress of the school. They never enquire about the problems faced by the students and teachers in schools. Poor infrastructure, shortage of teachers, financial problems of schools, Administrative lethargy etc. are other contributing factors for poor results in government schools. Students learning and performance is a multifactor process and the teacher alone cannot be held responsible for poor results. Every stakeholder should be made accountable and responsible if we really want to improve the results and performance of government schools. Otherwise, only innocent poor students in government schools are at huge loss.
( The author is a teacher at Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah Budgam. Views are his own)
[email protected]