Old city schools fail to get proper accommodation
Srinagar: Puncturing the tall claims of the state government to plug in the infrastructural gaps, four schools operating in old city continue to function under one roof in the building that houses the ‘National High School’ Srinagar.
The schools according to officials were shifted to the building of National school Srinagar after September 2014 floods hit Kashmir however, the school education department is yet to make arrangements for the schools at their respective places.
The institutions continue to operate under single roof “separately” while as the authorities have failed to provide permanent campus for these schools.
The schools comprise Government Middle Schools (GMS) Tankipora, Chinkral Mohalla, Chota Bazar and Government High School (GHS) Zaindar Mohalla.
“You are authorized to shift GHS Zaindar Muhalla which has been declared unsafe by the R&B department to the National High School till the other arrangements are made,” reads a letter shot to Headmaster Zaindar Muhalla in July 2015.
“Four years have passed but the schools continue to function here under a single roof,” the officials said.
Shifting of the schools from their respective places, accordion to the teachers resulted in dwindling of the enrolment of students in the schools.
“The small children found it inconvenient to reach here for schooling and left the school. Even the response for new admissions is very poor which decreased the enrolment of the students in these schools here,” said a teacher wishing not to be named.
All the four schools are operating from the second floor of the building and have occupied almost over a dozen rooms of the building.
“We have merged the classes of four schools and our arrival register is monitored by one headmaster. Administration related issues are being dealt separately by the concerned school heads here,” said one of the teachers.
The government had recently taken over the building of the national school Srinagar but has remained indecisive about the fate of teachers working in the institution. The delay by the department has left the teachers in a state of depression.
“While the building was occupied by government schools, the department took over the control of the building and decided to absorb the teachers as well. But till date no decision has been taken,” an official said.
Meanwhile, a top official in Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) said the delay in shifting of schools to their original places was due to the lack of government accommodation.
“Besides the government is also deciding about keeping one of these government schools in the buildings but the delay in absorption of the teachers of National school has left the issue lingering,” the official said.
DSEK, Muhammad Younis Malik said the department is looking into the issue.
“There has to be a process for every government decision, so the department will make a choice after fulfilling all requisite formalities,” he said.
KV Correspondent
