After the winter vacation, the schools have reopened. The reopening of schools brings back with it the hustle bustle in the educational institutions.
Thistime the students are appearing in annual examinations and the new classes will start after the declaration of results.
The staff at both the government and private schools is busy giving shape to the new academic session, which was changed last year.
Going by the scenario, the private schools continue to be in big demand as far as the admission of kids is concerned.
This, despite the fact, that it comes at a certain cost for parents compared to government schools that provide free education.
The question is why the parents are ready to pay the fee when large number of government schools are also available. A number of government schools despite having highly qualified staff are unable to deliver quality education, and raise the standards.
Undoubtedly there are sizeable number of government teachers who want to work honestly and with sincerity. But why still most parents prefer private schools over government schools.
There are also reports about the thinning of students’ roll in some of the government schools. There are people who cannot afford fee in private schools, and they admit their kinds in government schools. These kids also need better teaching facilities.
These children should not be deprived of better education. The rising number of school drop outs is also to be taken care of.
The concerned authorities will have to look into this issue, identify the problems and address those. For last several years some steps were taken in some areas.
But more such steps are needed on large scale and effectively taken to logical conclusion. Jammu and Kashmir cannot afford complete lack of interest among parents when it comes to admitting kids in government schools.
Efforts should be made to make the government schools as centre of attraction for students as was the case in past.
The government schools, and the teachers there, have played a glorious role in the field of education. That glory has to be restored.
The concerned department has to play a big role in this connection. Feedback should be also sought from the teachers for this purpose.
The teachers in government schools are considered as well trained and their service benefits are also far better than the teachers in most private schools.
If the teachers in private schools have helped their institutions to spread their networks in length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir, what stops the teachers in government schools from raising the standard of education.