Upgraded schools non-operational as creation of posts awaited: Sakeena Itoo
Srinagar, Feb 4: The J&K government on Wednesday informed the Legislative Assembly (LA) that all the government schools upgraded in 2014 were yet to be made operational.
The issue was raised by the MLA Kupwara, Mir Muhammad Fayaz, who asked the government about the reasons for not making the upgraded schools functional in his constituency.
In a reply to the query, minister for education Sakina Itoo informed the House that all the government schools upgraded in pursuance to Cabinet Decision taken in 2014, vide Government Order No: 737 -Edu of 2014, were yet to be made functional.
Earlier in 2014, the then NC government ordered up gradation of the schools months before the completion of its five year tenure. However, after the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led coalition government, the order was kept in abeyance citing that the upgradation was ordered without seeking concurrence from the finance department.
In wake of this only the signboard of these schools was changed without any new creation of the staff for these educational institutions. MLA Kupwara had raised a query about the delay in upgradation of High School (HS) Awoora, HS Gulgam and HS Manzhar.
The minister in her reply informed the House that around 800 schools were upgraded in 2014 across J&K. "High School Manzhar and Middle School Cheerkote did not fulfill the feasibility criteria. However, all the upgraded schools could not be made functional as creation of posts was awaited," the minister in her reply informed the House.
Soon after formation of the PDP government, the Administrative Department of School Education Department in 2015 issued an official communication and conveyed to the Director School Education Kashmir and Jammu division about the government decision to keep the order for upgradation of schools, in abeyance. Amid the delay in formal upgradation of these schools, these institutions are technically known as “hanging schools”, which are awaiting upgraded infrastructure and creation of new staff.
As already reported by this newspaper, the issue about the hanging schools was discussed in the meeting chaired by Sakeena Itoo. In the meeting, it was revealed that the department was running around 184 hanging schools upgraded during the past years without creation of the staff over the past years.
These schools were upgraded in the past under the erstwhile RMSA scheme without creation of the required posts.
Meanwhile, about the upgradation of Boys High School Manigah, Sakina Itoo informed the House that Chief Education Officer Kupwara has submitted a report to the Director School Education Kashmir. "The same will be considered when the proposal of upgradation of schools to the next higher level is mooted," she informed the House.
The minister earlier informed the House that there was no immediate proposal under consideration with the department for up-gradation of Schools. "However, when such a proposal is mooted, the upgradation of the schools shall be considered. The department is presently focusing on creation of required infrastructure and providing staff to all schools, especially the upgraded ones," the minister said. She said the upgradation of schools to their next level involves huge financial implications for creation of infrastructure and post of teaching staff which requires concurrence from the Finance Department.
