Govt Primary School in Kupwara’s Rajwar functioning from a single room

Kupwara, Aug 31: Nestled in the foothills of Bangus Valley, Government Primary School Kumar Mohalla, Dardhaji in Rajwar area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district, is a perfect example of neglect and administrative apathy as all classes of the school are crammed in a single room, besides it lacks other basic facilities including washrooms, boundary fencing, and safe infrastructure.

According to locals, the school was established two decades ago but has never been a priority for officials at the helm of affairs. "All classes from Kindergarten to 5th class are being conducted in a single room which tells about the sorry state of affairs," they added.

The residents stated that the school had been functioning in two rooms earlier but a few years back one of the rooms was damaged, forcing teachers to conduct all classes in the available single room.

Shahbaz Ahmad Pir a grade 3rd student while revealing the tale of miseries being faced by the students said that due to lack of accommodation they were forced to study in a single room. "Due to congestion in the room, we are unable to comprehend our lessons,” he said.

Shahbaz who was echoed by other students said that not only they were suffering due to lack of accommodation but the school lacks basic facilities such as washrooms and boundary fencing causing immense hardships for the students enrolled here.

“Female students enrolled in the school face most of the brunt in absence of washrooms. The concerned officials despite reaching out numerous times to address the issue but after the passage of several years, nothing with regard to construction of washrooms has been done so far, with the result their education gets affected,” said a local of the area.

“Located close to a forest area, the school faces a persistent threat from wild animals, endangering the safety of students. The boundary wall is of paramount importance considering the threat of wild animals. I believe the education department is waiting for an untoward incident to occur before they construct a boundary wall to the school,” he added.

In response to the concerns, Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Rajwar, Shabir Ahmad Badana said that he will personally visit the school. “Will see what immediate action can be done so that the students studying here may have a sigh of relief,” he added.