Excelling in academics, school in Sopore village fails in facilities
Srinagar: Contradicting the tall claims of the successive regimes to fill in the infrastructural gaps in the educational institutions across the state, hundreds of schools across Jammu and Kashmir are functioning without permanent buildings.
Not only SSA schools, scores of state-run schools are yet to get their permanent campus since their establishment in the state.
Government High School in Arampora area of Sopore town in Baramulla district is one such school which is functioning from shabby rented rooms since its establishment in the area.
The school has remained a victim of official apathy despite maintaining encouraging enrollment and producing good results for class 10th over the years.
“This school has been ignored by successive regimes by not providing it a permanent campus and other facilities for the students,” an official said. He said the school has been established in mid 70’s in the town and is operating form a rented accommodation, deflating the government claims of taking education sector to new heights.
“Besides good academic record, the school has been able to maintain an encouraging enrollment as this year more than 180 students from class 6th to 10th are enrolled in the school,” an official said. Most of the times school functionaries close admission for students given the lack of accommodation.
“The school has a good teaching staff, capable students but is lagging behind due to lack of accommodation and other facilities for students,” said a teacher posted in the school.
The class 9th and 10th students according to teachers attend their practical classes in normal classrooms.
“The school has a good academic record. It has produced 90 percent result in last class 10 exams,” the official added.
Though the department had initiated a process for construction of permanent campus for the school, but the files are gathering dust in the official corridors.
“A file was prepared at the CEO office but was shelved at the administrative level,” an official said.
An official dealing with the planning section however, said the government took various initiatives to construct permanent accommodation for the school but the non-availability of land played spoilsport.
“The residents are not ready to donate the land free of cost. And we don’t have any state land available in nearby area due to which the school continues to remain functional in rented accommodation,” the official said.
Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Muhammad Younis Malik when contacted said the department has not ignored any school deliberately but dearth of land prompts the government to adjust the school in a rented building.
“Even a building for this school was sanctioned under RMSA scheme but the department had to shift the building to other school as no land was available in Arampora area,” he said, adding that the department has no dearth of resources.
KV Correspondent
