Winter exposes Kashmir’s school infrastructure woes

Srinagar, Nov 20: The infrastructural gaps in schools across Kashmir have once again come to the spotlight with the onset of the winter and the subzero temperatures recorded at various places.

Over the years, the government schools across J&K have been facing a persistent problem of infrastructural gaps that demand urgent attention.

The problem gets aggravated during the harsh winters and this dire situation persists in these schools year-round, impacting the education of thousands of students, especially those in kindergarten and primary classes.

Despite several ambitious education reforms at the national and UT levels, the success of these initiatives goes down the drain on addressing the fundamental issue of inadequate infrastructure in the schools.

An official said that despite making reformative decisions, the lack of infrastructure in schools remains a pressing concern.

“The inadequate facilities, especially in primary and middle-level schools, have led to multiple classes crammed into a single room. Not only schools but the newly-established colleges also operate from insufficient accommodations," the official said, wishing not to be named.

Last year, a government report highlighted infrastructural gaps in nearly 5000 schools, particularly those in remote and hilly areas.

In the Higher Education sector, the government report also stated that 25 newly established and existing colleges were without their buildings.

“Such revelations should act as an eye-opener for the authorities and a strategy should be chalked out to fill the infrastructural gaps at the school and college level. Despite being aware of the issue, the successive regimes have failed to address the basic problem in the educational institutions,” the official said.

The government recently announced the restoration of the previous October-November session for the schools up to class 9th.

The decision was followed by the issuance of a uniform date sheet for the students up to class 9th.

As per the date sheet notified by the DSEK, the summative assessment is scheduled from November 25, 2024, for classes 1st to 9th for all schools of the Kashmir division.

The assessment will culminate on December 4, 2024, for classes up to 5th primary and December 6, 2024, for class 6th to 9th students.

“While the exams are scheduled for the coming week, the schools do not have any heating arrangement for the kids so that they write exams conveniently,” the official said.

A school teacher said that given the dearth of infrastructure, particularly at primary and middle-level schools, the students of more than one class are crammed in a shabby room.

“The dearth of infrastructure has severe consequences for students, especially those in kindergarten and primary classes who endure freezing conditions even during early winter. The situation not only jeopardises their health but also impedes the learning process,” the school teacher said.

The school teachers said that last year the vacations were announced from November 25 for junior classes and this year the students have to appear in the exams till the first week of December.

“It is a challenging job for the staff of the school because we are answerable to the parents who see their kids in awkward situations in school. The parents do not care about policy decisions but react to the practical situation on the ground,” another school teacher said.

As the mercury has gone down, the infrastructural gaps in schools are likely to pose a tough situation for the students in schools, particularly the kindergarten and primary classes.

Education Minister Sakeena Masood (Itoo) also acknowledged the infrastructural gaps in schools saying that steps would be taken to fill the gaps in the education sector.

“The government is aware of the fact that we have infrastructural gaps in the education sector but we will try our best to fill the gaps to bring improvement in it,” she said.