An official report submitted by the authorities at Chandoosa Education Zone of Baramulla has authenticated the Greater Kashmir story which depicted the lopsided Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in several schools set up within a radius of 1 km.
Greater Kashmir in its Tuesday edition published a story about the flawed rationalisation and functioning of government schools in a haphazard manner in Mawar and Chandoosa zone of north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
In wake of this, Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Chandoosa in his report submitted to Chief Education Officer (CEO) Baramulla admitted that the clubbing of some schools was not due to political and public pressure.
The report states that the Government High School (GHS) Shirpora and Government Middle School (GMS) Parra MohallaShirpora were not clubbed during the erstwhile rationalisation with the reason that the GMS Parra MohallaShirpora was situated in the nearest premises of the habitation where the school was housed in the three-roomed building which collapsed due to the sinking of land there.
“To secure precious lives of the students, one vacant five-roomed building of GHS Shirpora was provided to the students of GMS Parra MohallaShipora on public demand who stated that the results of GMS Parra MohallaShimpora was more fruitful than GHS Shirpora as the staff members of the school are very hard working and have gained a handsome enrollment compared to GHS Shirpora,” the report reads.
It states that the inhabitants did not allow clubbing of the two schools in the zone.
The report reads that the student enrollment of GHS Shipora was 51 which is less than that of GMS Parra MohallaShipora where the student population is 89. The department has posted 10 teachers in GHS Shirpora and five teachers in GMS Parra Mohalla.
“Now it is requested to you that the two schools may be clubbed,” the official document reads.
The zonal report has also depicted lopsided PTR in other schools and stated that the schools were not clubbed earlier due to political and public pressure.
“Due to the political pressure, the department could not club these two schools,” it reads.
The report also states that GMS HajamMohalla and GMS SofiMohallaBandipayeen are located at a distance of some meters in the same area.
The department has already clubbed the enrollment of GMS HajamMohalla and Primary School Dar Mohalla and the aggregate student population of the two schools is only 70.
“The student enrollment of GMS SofiMohalla and GMS Rather Mohalla, which are already clubbed, is only 35. The need of the hour is to club the schools and rationalise the staff for utilisation of their services in the needy schools where the enrollment is very high,” the report reads.
These revelations have come to fore at a time when the School Education Department claims to have carried proper rationalisation of staff and clubbed the schools to streamline the PTR in government schools.
The official report further states that GMS Gohan and GHS Gohan which are located in the same premises were already combined but the official approval was awaited from the higher ups.
“The sanction for clubbing and rationalisation of staff may kindly be accorded,” reads the report submitted by the ZEO Chandoosa to CEO Baramulla.
The official report further states that Government Primary School (GPS), Hamdani Colony Doudbugh and GMS Check Doudbugh were working jointly as the accommodation of the primary school collapsed in the landslide during 2016.
“The two schools are now working in government accommodation which comprises eight rooms, three washrooms and a kitchen,” the report reads.
The ZEO in its report has informed the CEO Baramulla that GPS Peer MohallaNilsar be clubbed with GMS Nilsar as the student enrollment of the school was only 25.
“The school is functional in a private accommodation for which rent has to be paid and a sweeper engaged on a permanent basis, which is not possible,” the report reads.
The ZEO has also said that the student enrollment of GHS Dandmoha was only 40 with two feeding schools – GPS NaiarMohalla and GPS Upper Dandmoha in the same village with an enrollment of 30 and 36 students.
“The primary school Thandakasi and primary school Murin have student enrollment of three and 12 and are located at a distance of 500 meters from another school GMS BehakBala with sufficient accommodation and staff. It may also be considered for clubbing and control under one roof,” the report reads.