“For all practical purposes a nod to upgradation of any Private School as High School lying at a distance of less than three kilometres from any nearby Government School would obviously bring down the enrolment in any Government High School already established in the area.”
Most of the Private Schools seeking registration for upgradation as high schools have already violated the basic parameters fixed by the Government for registration as most of them are established at a distance of less than three kilometres from the Government schools in several areas of both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. While the School Education Department has not taken note of the violations of the basic parameters committed by some already registered private high schools, the department is now initiating a process for registration of some more private schools for their upgradation as high schools. For all practical purposes a nod to upgradation of any Private School as High School lying at a distance of less than three kilometres from any nearby Government School would obviously bring down the enrolment in any Government High School already established in the area. The enrolment in Government schools a prime concern of the School Education Department can’t be improved only through enrolment drives if Government itself allows the Private Schools to come up within a distance of less than three kilometres in Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. When the Government is itself contributing to the violation of a basic parameters by allowing Private Schools to come up within a distance of less than three kilometres, the Private Educational Trusts and individuals are at liberty to seek relaxations for registration the School Education Department gives for establishing any new private school or upgradation of any private school as high school in any urban or a rural area. Strict adherence to basic parameters for registration of a fresh private school or the existing private school for upgradation school is the only way to increase the enrolment in Government Schools and reduce the trends of mushroom growth of private schools in Jammu & Kashmir.
“Shockingly some already established private high schools are running primary classes from Srinagar city and higher classes from the adjoining districts in Central Kashmir but neither the concerned Deputy Commissioner’s nor the Director School Education Kashmir bothers to seek explanations from such private schools on this count. Unless and untill the Financial Commissioner School Education Department does not himself in person review the registration process of both the upcoming and as well as existing private schools for upgradation as high schools the unending trend of irregularities in the registration of both the new and existing private schools for upgration as high schools won’t end as otherwise improvement in enrollment in Government Schools lying in the vicinity of private schools won’t improve despite enrollment drives initiated by the Government year after year.”
Among other basic parameters not properly verified by the School Education Department during registration of private schools include building safety, fire safety, chemical safety, non-involvement (political) certificate, Traffic NOC, pollution control board certificate, land certificate and even building permissions. Interestingly year after year reports about the functioning of schools from rented buildings declared unsafe by R&B Department appear in newspapers and are telecast by satellite TV Channels year after year but such private schools continue to evade action for one or other reasons. Shockingly some already established private high schools are running primary classes from Srinagar city and higher classes from the adjoining districts in Central Kashmir but neither the concerned Deputy Commissioner’s nor the Director School Education Kashmir bothers to seek explanations from such private schools on this count. Unless and untill the Financial Commissioner School Education Department does not himself in person review the registration process of both the upcoming and as well as existing private schools for upgradation as high schools the unending trend of irregularities in the registration of both the new and existing private schools for upgration as high schools won’t end as otherwise improvement in enrollment in Government Schools lying in the vicinity of private schools won’t improve despite enrollment drives initiated by the Government year after year.
