Infusing new life into J&K's education sector

As the new government formation in Jammu and Kashmir is round the corner, the key issues vis-a-vis school education and Higher education sector in Jammu and Kashmir must be on a top priority list of the government.

Over the past few years, the education sector both at school and higher education level has been grappling with several issues which have hampered the overall progress of the sector.

If we talk about the higher education sector, one of the pressing issues which needs to be addressed is the timely appointment of the Vice Chancellors (VCs) for the J&K Universities.

Over the past many years, we have witnessed the inordinate delay in appointment of the VCs for the Universities which creates hurdles in the overall progress of the institutions.

Ideally, the government should begin the exercise for appointment of the VCs three to four months prior to the completion of the incumbent VC of any university. The move will ensure that there is no gap in appointment and the institutions are not run by any person as an additional assignment.

The process for appointment of VC for Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri was started around six months ago but the J&K administration is yet to complete the process and the university is run by the person who has already retired from his service after completing his three-year tenure as the VC.

The scene at other universities is no different.

Being the oldest institution in J&K, University of Kashmir is already grappling with several issues which need to be considered by the new government soon after it assumes the charge. From decline in the admissions to the inordinate delay in the completion of the recruitments, the KU is lagging behind in various key areas. The recent dip in the NIRF ranking has also become a cause of worry.

Another pressing issue is the government decision to enhance the retirement age of university teachers. The new government should immediately stop it considering the rising rate of unemployment as the highly qualified youth in J&K are waiting to get inducted in the Universities and infuse a new energy in the young minds.

Besides the University, the key areas that need to be addressed at College level are of equal importance. Like Universities, the Government Degree Colleges across J&K are also witnessing a decline in admissions which has thrown up a major challenge for the government. There is a decline in the admissions in colleges at a time when the government is boasting about implementation of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 and participating in CUET as well.

While the government claims to be the first to implement the NEP-2020 and also participate in CUET, the ground situation is ugly, given the deteriorating position of the higher education sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

Given the sharp decline in the student enrollment year on year in the colleges, the authorities have now sought the "one page" feedback from all the college principals and to take measures to address the "major issue."

The colleges are going through a challenging situation because besides almost doubling the number of institutions by opening 50 more degree colleges, the administration has miserably failed to attract students for admissions in these colleges.

Almost all the newly established degree colleges are without basic infrastructure which is another key area which needs to be addressed by the new government.

The transfers of teachers, particularly females, beyond districts is another issue which needs to be reviewed by the new government. While issuing transfer orders, particularly females, at college level, distance should be a criteria.

Now coming to the school education sector. This sector which forms the base of the educational system is grappling with countless issues. From decline in the student enrollment in schools to infrastructural gaps, the government has miserably failed to bring the education sector on track.

The other key areas which need to be addressed are creating a balance in curricular and extracurricular activities in schools and special attention needed at the primary level of the schools. During the previous years it was seen that the department shifted its focus more on extracurricular activities than maintaining a balance between the academics and extracurricular activities.

Despite holding back to back enrollment drives at village level for two to three years, the department was recently reprimanded by the Ministry of Education (MoE) as the department was asked to explain the reasons behind the 'sharp decline" in the student enrollment in schools. The queries raised by the MoE put a question mark on the enrollment drives carried by the school education department.

The new government must give special attention to the school education sector particularly the primary sector which forms the base of the education sector. There is a dire need to move beyond the announcement of kindergarten sections and act practically on ground to revive the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir. The schools are facing a decline in the enrollment despite facing formal closure of around 4400 schools across J&K, which speaks volumes about the failure of the successive regimes to revive the education sector at grass root level. Moreover, hundreds of schools particularly in Srinagar are functioning from the rented accommodations since their establishment.

Another concern is the decision of switching from the November to March session by the government, which was not even the part of the implementation of NEP-2020 in J&K. Even if the decision was taken to increase the number of working days in academic session, the decision has not proved fruitful for the schools as the academic session was curtailed given the geographical scenario of the region. The decision needs to be reviewed as well.

One of the alarming concerns in schools and colleges is the youth falling prey to substance abuse. This growing concern demands immediate attention. The government is expected to launch special measures in educational institutions to address the issue.

To conclude, the new J&K Government would do well to ensure sustained focus on academic reforms at school, college and university levels so that the academic output is enhanced considerably for the overall profession of the society. A multi-level committee of academics and administrators may be constituted to identify areas which require special emphasis and urgent attention. Sooner the goals of education are realised, the better it is.