Aspirational districts fail to aspire students
Enrolment in the two districts is showing a dwindling trend
Srinagar: Bellying the tall claims of the government to improve the education and health sector in the two aspirational districts of Kashmir valley, the enrolment in the two districts is showing a dwindling trend.
The downfall in the enrolment has thrown up a major challenge for the authorities to check the rate of out of school children at secondary level.
As per the official data, the enrolment in Kupwara district from 9th class to class 10th has gone down by 24 percent in one year. The number of students enrolled in class 9th in 2017 was 7379 which later decreased to 5591 in class 10th during 2018.
Similarly, the enrolment in Baramualla district got decreased from 8859 in class 9th during 2017 to 6773 in class 10th during 2018.
The two districts of north Kashmir have been selected as the aspirational districts programme of NITI Aayog launched by Prime Minister of India (PMO) in January 2018.
The main focus in aspirational district is to improve the educational and health sector of these districts.
As, per the departmental policy which is in vogue over the years, no student has to be detained in class 9th.
“If any student fails to qualify the annual 9th class exam he has to be given remedial classes during winter months and a separate exam has to be conducted for such students. Later, these students are promoted to class 10th,” an official said. In view of this, the number of students in class 10th during 2018 should have been same as that of class 9th in 2017.
“But the enrolment has witnessed a downward trend which is alarming. Overall, the enrolment has gone down by 27 percent across Kashmir at secondary classes from 2017 to 2018,” the official said.
Earlier, the department had constituted a committee to assess the reasons for alarming rate of students leaving studies in midway. It was observed by the department that the students were leaving schools because of failure to deal with mathematics sunject.
“A committee was constituted following which it was decided that department will have two mathematics subjects for students at secondary level. One will be simpler one while as one will be a standard for those students who want to pursue their career in medical or engineering,” an official said. But the committee decision is yet to be implemented.
Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Muhammad Younis Malik meanwhile, said the schools at primary and middle level have shown an increase in the enrolment by 86000 this year.
“It is an encouraging trend but at secondary level we need to curtail the trend of school going children leaving their studies. We have to put a check on it,” he said.
Asked about the measures taken by the Department he said, the department will convene a meeting in this regard and efforts will be initiated to keep the enrolment at secondary level intact.
KV Correspondent
