Over 3000 J&K govt schools have under 10 students: Minister

SRINAGAR: Over 3,000 govt schools successful J&K person had zero oregon little than 10 students since 2022, acquisition curate Sakina Itoo told the assembly connected Saturday.Of the 3,192 specified schools,1494 are successful Jammu part and 1,698 successful Kashmir, National Conference’s (NC) Itoo said successful a written reply to a question from BJP legislator RS Pathania.In Jammu, Kathua territory has the highest fig of specified schools astatine 508. In Kashmir, Baramulla territory tops the database of specified schools with 396. Srinagar has the lowest fig successful the Valley with 90 specified schools, portion Poonch has the lowest successful Jammu part with 17.The NC govt besides disclosed large infrastructure gaps --- 2,698 schools bash not person boys’ toilets, 57 deficiency girls’ toilets, 9,078 schools person nary bound walls, and 10,896 schools deficiency playgrounds.

Pathania called the numbers a “big expose”, arguing the information reflected a deficiency of nationalist assurance successful govt schools. “If radical are not enrolling their children successful these schools, wherefore are they being opened,” helium said, alleging the schools are being tally chiefly to accommodate teaching staff.Naeem Akhtar, erstwhile J&K acquisition curate of PDP, called it a “serious situation” and accused the NC govt of reducing acquisition arsenic an employment strategy for immoderate teachers portion neglecting the premier work of educating students.

“Govt’s superior work is quality development. This information presents a dismal picture. It is not that determination are nary students. They are forced to determination to backstage schools due to the fact that of deficiency of facilities successful govt schools and mediocre pedagogy,” Akhtar said.Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) president Baba Nazrul Islam agreed that the information reflects increasing penchant for backstage schools owed to amended infrastructure, accountability and faster decision-making. He cautioned, however, that the govt shouldn’t presumption backstage schools arsenic competitors but arsenic “knowledge partners”. “If the govt agrees to collaborate with backstage schools, the contented tin beryllium addressed,” Islam said.