EDUCATION ON HOLD | Uncertainty looms as last date for submission of class 10th exam forms approaches

Srinagar, Dec 18: As the deadline for the submission of class 10th examination forms approaches, a cloud of uncertainty looms over students enrolled in private schools having land issues and have been denied the release of Registration and Registration Return Forms (RRF).

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE) recently announced the last date for submission as December 20, 2023, raising concerns for a significant number of students.

An official said that the students of all these schools having land issues were yet to be registered for the class 10th examination.

“We have the details of the students of all these schools but they have not been registered for the class 10th examination because of the land issues with their schools. They were registered last year (in class 9th) with JK Board but this year they are yet to be registered for class 10th exam,” an official said, wishing not to be named.

“Last year the Board had made a provisional release of RR for the class 9th students of these schools but this year the registration has been withheld,” he said.

The official said the number of such schools is over 100 but BOSE has not started tagging students of private schools, as of now.

“The matter is sub judice and we are waiting for the government to take a call on the issue,” the official said.

About the last date for submission of examination forms, the official said the dates could be further extended for the convenience of the students.

The issue about the tagging of students of private schools with land issues, to nearby schools came to the limelight following statements issued by the BOSE Chairman and School Education Department (SED) stating that there were certain issues with few schools but the students of such schools will be tagged with nearby schools to safeguard their career.

However, voices have grown shriller against the government’s decision to tag the students with nearby schools citing that it has a bearing on the psychological attachment of these students to their respective schools.

Former Director of School Education Kashmir (DSEK), Muhammad Rafi termed the tagging of students as a “double whammy” for schools.

He said the schools in J&K continue to be regulated by the J&K School Education Act of 2002 and the rules there as issued under SRO 123 of 2010 as amended from time to time.

“As far as tagging is concerned, it is not visualised or envisaged under any of the rules of the Principle Act. I recall that in the past, tagging of students with other schools was seen as malpractice and unfair practice which was not to be allowed in any eventuality,” Rafi said.

He said that the government’s decision to tag these students is out of sync with the scheme of law and the regulations there under as established.

“By going ahead with tagging, the government is imposing a crisis of identity for the students. Any student who has studied in a particular school for 15 to 16 years and is now at the culmination point is being tagged to another school. By doing so he is being made face to face with identity crises,” Rafi said.

He said that by suggesting tagging options, the government was in a way declaring that these schools are illegal.

“It gives the signal to other parents that the school is illegal and how come the other parents will continue the admission of their kids in such schools,” Rafi said.

He said that the tagging option comes with a heavy cost for the children and parents as well.

Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar said that the focus of the government was to ensure that children do not suffer

Amid the hue and cry over tagging of students enrolled in private schools with land issues, the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) has joined the Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK) and is
mulling to start ‘School Bachao’ padayatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

“We have held the deliberation on the tagging issue and more than two lakh schools will participate in the yatra,” Ghulam Nabi Var told Greater Kashmir.