Parents, Locals Protest in Pattan Over Unsafe School Building, Demand Immediate Action

Baramulla: Locals of Hanjivera in north Kashmir’s Pattan staged a protest on Friday against the Education Department for failing to provide a safe and structurally sound building for Government High School Hanjivera. The protesters, including parents of students, expressed anger over the prolonged delay in constructing a new school building, despite official assurances.
Locals said that the existing school structure was declared unsafe back in 2008, and since then, students have been forced to attend classes in a primary school building with inadequate facilities. They accused authorities of neglect, stating that multiple appeals for the construction of a proper school building have gone unheard.
The parents urged the administration to expedite the construction of a new 10-room, two-story building to accommodate students from primary to high school levels. They emphasized that the current three-room structure, deemed unfit for use by an official order in 2022, poses a serious risk to students.
In addition to infrastructure concerns, the protesters demanded the immediate appointment of a headmaster, a position that has remained vacant for over a year. They argued that the absence of a school head has led to administrative inefficiencies and internal conflicts among the teaching staff, ultimately affecting students’ education.
Furthermore, locals called for the transfer of long-serving teachers to introduce fresh teaching methodologies and improve the overall academic standards of the institution.
The aggrieved residents appealed to the concerned authorities to address their grievances on a priority basis, warning that continued neglect could severely impact the education of children from marginalized communities in the area.