“With Government schools in villages narrating a woeful tale of the accommodation and infrastructural facilities the matter of immediate attention of the Government is the space crunch and availability of basic facilities at Government schools.”
The recent media reports about zero percent enrollment in 800 Government schools in Jammu and Kashmir is undoubtedly an eye opener for the School Education Department in view of it’s last year’s claims about 19% decline in enrollments at private schools. Not only zero percent enrollment in 800 Government Schools but reports about 50% enrollment in over 16000 Government Schools have also appeared in newspapers and as such the disturbing enrollment figures in Government Schools necessitate an immediate response from the School Education Department of the Jammu & Kashmir Government. Year after year reports appear about the enrollments and infrastructure in Government schools appear in newspapers but unfortunately remarkable improvement has not been noticed either in enrollments or infrastructural facilities at Government schools any where in the rural parts of Kashmir Valley and Jammu division. While administrative wisdom demands that lapses identified so for are reduced through corrective measures, the School Education Department is yet to come out with a blueprint for improvements in the infrastructural facilities at Government schools. Though infrastructural facilities have been improved in Government schools in cities and towns but Government schools found in a dire state in villages particularly in remote rural areas don’t get the attention and intervention from the Government they deserve very urgently. The lack of infrastructural facilities particularly the accommodation at Government schools throw up serious questions about the access of children to quality education in villages particularly remote rural areas equally in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. With Government schools in villages narrating a woeful tale of the accommodation and infrastructural facilities the matter of immediate attention of the Government is the space crunch and availability of basic facilities at Government schools.
“Prioritising accommodation facilities and creation of a healthy learning environment at Government could bring Government schools nearer to completion with private schools both in the cases of enrollment and as well as the teaching facilities and further delay on this count won’t bring Government schools in competition with private schools.”
While most of the school buildings have been left incomplete for years together the Government does not show interest in completing the incomplete school buildings and constructing buildings for the schools run from rented buildings in most of the remote rural areas of both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. Preparing a blue print for the completion of the incomplete school buildings and constructions of buildings for the schools run from rented buildings are biggest challenges for the Government and speaks volumes about the interest of the Government in raising the standards of education in villages particularly the remote rural areas. Never forget that enrollments in Government schools are unlikely to rise till the completion of incomplete school buildings and construction of buildings for the schools run from rented buildings. Prioritising accommodation facilities and creation of a healthy learning environment at Government could bring Government schools nearer to completion with private schools both in the cases of enrollment and as well as the teaching facilities and further delay on this count won’t bring Government schools in competition with private schools.
