J&K Govt looking to compulsorily enroll employees' wards in state-run schools

Srinagar, Aug 18: The Jammu and Kashmir government is discussing a proposal regarding the compulsory enrolment of wards of all government employees in state-run schools.

The proposal, submitted by a local organisation to the monitoring and grievance cell of the office of the J&K Lieutenant Governor has gained attention and is currently under review.

The proposal suggests that all the government employees should admit their children in government schools which could serve as a catalyst for improving the quality of education in these institutions which are otherwise below par and have seen a decline in admissions in recent years.

The proposal aims to bring accountability and direct involvement of government officials in the public education system, potentially leading to better facilities, teaching standards, and overall performance.

Following the submission of the proposal, an official communication was sent from the LG’s office to the School Education Department (SED) with the instructions to take necessary actions and submit an action-taken report to the LG office.

In wake of this, the SED has formally communicated to the Director School Education of both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, urging appropriate measures in accordance with the rules even as it has sought feedback on the proposal.

Following this, the Director School Education Jammu issued an official communication to all Chief Education Officers (CEOs) of the Jammu division who were asked to provide their comments on the matter.

The CEOs have further forwarded the communication to Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) and heads of institutions for their input.

As the discussion is going on over implementation of the proposal, the School Education Department is yet to reach any consensus regarding its implementation. Notably, the officers, as per the official communication, were directed to submit their comments regarding the implementation of the proposal by August 12 of 2024.

However, talking to Greater Kashmir, Principal Secretary SED, Alok Kumar stated that nothing was finalised on the matter.

"I am yet to make up my mind on it," Alok Kumar told Greater Kashmir without divulging any further details.