Residents rue lack of space at govt school in Handwara area

Kupwara, June 27: 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 teachers deployed here have turned the veranda of the school into a classroom. Although a separate single story building was constructed for the school, that is of no use due to its pathetic condition. The inner work of the building is still incomplete even after a decade.

Ninety seven 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. Don’t know when the miseries of our children will end,” a known local activist Javid Ahmad told this correspondent during the visit to Sarmarg.

“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 Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Handwara Aziz Ahmad Rather. They 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.