Headless Govt schools in remote areas mar student performance

The school education department kept many government schools in Kashmir’s remote areas headless throughout the 2018 academic year, once again exposing neglect resulting in poor performance in class 10th exams.

This was borne out of the results declared last week of December by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE). 

   

The department kept government high schools in Tulail village of Bandipora district headless throughout the year and didn’t provide adequate teaching staff which resulted in poor performance by the students.

Government high school (GHS) Malangam in Tulail village of Bandipora produced zero percent result in the class 10th exams. Three students appeared in the BOSE annual exams and none could pass it.

Similarly, Gujran High School in the same village has produced 14 percent result in the exams. Out of 22 students who appeared in the annual exams only three passed.

The pass percentage of Government Higher Secondary School Baduab in Tulail is only 30 percent with only three out of 10 students passing the class 10th exams.

The poor performance in these schools has thrown up a major challenge for the department as it has failed to address the issues of the schools located in far off areas.

There are around six higher secondary schools in Gurez education zone, three each in Tulail and Gurez. The zone has 10 high schools, three each in Gurez and Tulail villages.

The directorate of school education Kashmir (DSEK) recently ordered suspending teachers showing below 20 percent results. 

However, an official cited the department not providing adequate staff in these schools for the poor performance of students. 

“The schools which have produced zero or below 20 percent results were headless and without science and mathematics teachers,” an official said on condition of anonimity. 

“So, against whom will the department initiate action?” 

Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Gurez, Abdul Rahim Magray claimed high and higher secondary schools are directly under the jurisdiction of chief education officer (CEO) Bandipora. 

He however confirmed that high school Gujran was upgraded under erstwhile RMSA scheme but no staff was provided for this school and it remained headless in the year 2018. 

“It was upgraded from middle to high school but was run by middle school teachers as the department didn’t post any science and mathematics teachers in the school,” Magray said, adding Malangam high school was also headless throughout the year. 

“Other schools in the Tulail have a headmaster but are deficient of teachers.”

Official data reveals around 100 posts of Masters, 70 Teachers and 3 Headmasters were vacant in Gurez education zone.

Chief education officer (CEO) Bandipora, Munshi Muhammad Javaid said the teacher-deficient schools were provided with contractual teachers for academic assistance. 

“But we will seek an explanation from the contractual staff for having poor result in these schools,” Javaid said. 

With this backdrop, parents of unsuccessful students from Gurez and Tulail have written to the Governor seeking action against the department for producing the poor results.

“Our wards have shown poor performance in class 10th exams due to negligence of teachers. Most of the students belong to poor families and can’t afford private coaching due to which majority of them couldn’t qualify the class 10th exams,” parents have stated in a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik. The parents have urged the Governor to initiate action against the department and the teachers for their negligence. “Government should upgrade the system so that the poor families can expect positive results from their wards in exams,” the letter reads.

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