Poor infrastructure at Upper Primary School in Handwara’s Sarmarg hits academics

Kupwara, May 15: Nestled in the picturesque valley of Upper Rajwar, the Shaheed Nazir Ahmad Mir Boys Upper Primary School (UPS) Sarmarg in Handwara Sub District presents a grim picture as students enrolled here are grappling with lack of accommodation thereby putting them into a lot of inconvenience.

Surprisingly, the school has only two classrooms and a few years back teachers deployed here have turned the balcony of the school into a classroom thus making it three. Although a separate single story building was constructed for the school, which is of no use due to its pathetic condition. The inner work of the building stands still incomplete even after a decade has passed which has made it unfit to use.

Over ninety students are being crammed into three classrooms which mars the quality education here but the concerned authorities seem to be insensitive about it even after locals have apprised them about lack of accommodation numerous times. “I believe one dozen Zonal Education Officers got transferred from our Education Zone but the issue is still lingering on. We don’t know when the miseries of our children will end,” local activist Javid Ahmad said.

“The school also lacks basic amenities such as fencing and a playground. These deficiencies disrupt the smooth functioning of the school and deny the children essential spaces for safety and play” he added. The failure of the education department to address these pressing needs has left the local community deeply anguished. Their repeated pleas for additional classrooms and better facilities have fallen on deaf ears, fostering a sense of neglect and despair. “The school was upgraded a decade ago, but infrastructure development has never been a priority for the authorities,” the residents added. The residents of the area said that the school was situated on the roadside so they always remain apprehensive about the well-being of their children. They demanded that the school be shifted to a safer place where new infrastructure would be developed and ground facilities will be available for students.

Now, in a renewed plea for justice and support, the residents of Rajwar have turned to MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone. They have urged him to intervene and provide the much-needed infrastructure that can transform the educational experience at Shaheed Nazir Ahmad Mir Boys Upper Primary School (UPS) Sarmarg.

Meanwhile, Zonal Education Officer Rajwar, Shabir Ahmad Badhana told Greater Kashmir that due to non-availability of land in the area, the Education Department was not in a position to construct a new building for the school. He said that the locals of Sarmarg have donated land few months ago, now it was possible for them to develop infrastructure for the said school. He said that a building has already been envisaged in the plan and during the current fiscal year, work on new building will be started.