Kupwara, Nov 26: The Government Boys Higher Secondary School Panzgam, Kralpora in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district lacks staff and substantial accommodation, making students suffer.
An official said that only six classrooms were available for over 900 students of 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th standard.
He said that only two permanent lecturers were posted here while students studying arts and science subjects were suffering due to the non-availability of teachers.
According to official figures, 129 students were enrolled in 9th, 142 in 10th, 346 in 11th, and 306 in 12th but they were forced to study in only six classrooms.
“Only physics and political science subjects have permanent staff while students who opted for chemistry, zoology, botany, mathematics, Urdu, education, Arabic, environmental science and English were suffering the most due to absence of permanent faculty,” the official figures reveal. “Besides the lack of teaching staff, several non-teaching posts including librarian, accounts assistant, orderly, helper and gardener were also vacant here which tells upon the smooth functioning of this educational institute.”
Locals said that this school caters to a large number of villages including Budnamal, Manzpather, RediChowkibal, Tamuna, and DardporaGujran but due to official apathy towards the school, they are being forced to look for other alternatives.
They said that the school also lacks a playground.
Sarpanch Panzgam Muhammad Ashraf told Greater Kashmir that this institution was built over 2 kanal of land which was not sufficient for a higher secondary school.
He said that 33 kanal vacant forest land was available in proximity to the school and urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to issue an order of transferring the land to the Department of Education so that thousands of students of the area could benefit from it.
The locals also appealed to the Director of School Education, Kashmir to augment the staff and accommodation of the school.