Ghost Students: How dummy admissions are undermining J&K’s education system

Srinagar, Jan 19: The pass percentage of students in the class 10th and 12th examinations has sparked a heated debate on the role of coaching centres, with stakeholders raising alarm over the growing trend of dummy admissions in schools, mostly government schools.

The J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) declared results for the class 10th and 12th examinations on Wednesday, triggering sharp questions about the relevance of formal schooling in student performance.

The controversy erupted after 17 government school students figured among the top three position holders, sharing these ranks with private school students—a statistic that raised eyebrows rather than celebration.

"Did they ever attend their schools? These students are only enrolled in government schools but attend classes at private coaching centres," said Muneeb, a parent from Sopore.

Another parent was blunt: the credit belongs entirely to private coaching centres.

"Not only government schools but private schools also accept dummy admissions and allow students to take classes in private coaching centres," the parent said.

The trend of dummy admissions at the higher secondary level has gone unchecked for years, raising serious concerns about the accountability of school heads.

Every year, students secure bogus admissions in schools—particularly government institutions—helping inflate pass percentages in JKBOSE exams while rarely setting foot in classrooms.

However, opinions remain divided on where credit is due. "Government schools and teachers deserve recognition. The situation is improving in government schools, particularly in rural areas," said Mehraj Sufi.

"In rural areas, the credit goes to schools. In urban areas, to private tuition," said Shabir Ahmad, another parent, drawing a geographic distinction.

Netizen Mufti Taseem wrote on Facebook that private schools are equally complicit. "Since there is no vigilance over student attendance, the issue of dummy admissions prevails in private schools as well," he noted.

While stakeholders remain divided, a dangerous pattern of dummy admissions is trapping students in a relentless rat race.

The trend has persisted for years because it benefits school heads and subject-specific lecturers who can boast about inflated pass percentages—creating a perverse incentive to look the other way.

A group of teachers told Greater Kashmir that students routinely enrol in government higher secondary schools for classes 11th and 12th while physically attending private coaching centres full-time.

"A single surprise inspection of government higher secondary schools will bust the whole scam, but the people at the helm of affairs do not want to disturb the trend as it helps them show fake results," the teachers said.

The practice is especially prevalent among students in the science stream and those preparing for NEET from secondary classes.

Last year, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) issued a circular to all school heads, making it mandatory to strictly maintain attendance records for students in classes 9th to 12th.

The directive aimed to crack down on absenteeism after officials observed that many students in classes 11th and 12th were skipping regular classes, with the trend spreading to classes 9th and 10th.

However, enforcement appears to have been minimal, with the practice continuing unabated.

Nazrul Islam Baba, president of the Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK), warned that classroom attendance is crucial to achieving the vision of competency-based learning, hands-on activities, peer engagement, and teacher-student interaction.

"NEP-2020 envisions education not merely as academic instruction but as a holistic journey nurturing students' intellectual curiosity," he said.

He noted the tragic irony: while NEP-2020 emphasises conceptual learning, schools are encouraging rote learning and enabling dummy admissions.

"The trend is really dangerous and will have serious implications for students. The government must look into the issue and take immediate steps to discourage the practice in schools," Baba said.