Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 1: Defeating the very purpose of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), the J&K government has been forcing students of primary schools of far flung areas to cover several kilometers to reach school.
Sources in the Education Department told Early Times that when the SSA was launched, its basic purpose was to give primary education to children living in far-flung areas at their door steps.
Under the scheme, several new schools were opened by the government, and the enrollment in schools increased manifolds.
But the so-called rationalization of primary schools is defeating the very purpose of the SSA.
Take the example of Government Primary School Khdya Dharia which falls under zone Kulwanta in tehsil Ramnagar of district Udhampur. The Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Jadgish Kumar has informed the parents of students that it has been decided to club the school with Middle School Noul.
Madan Lal, a resident of village Lehar, said that government had established the school last year and this year 18 students were enrolled. The school was running in a rented building, and instead of strengthening the infrastructure the school will be closed now.
"The government is violating SSA norms, which say that all children should complete five years of primary schooling in nearby school which is situated within one kilometer distance," Lal argued.
"Our children are compelled to reach their school on foot which is two kilometer from their residence, and the students have to cross two rivulets, which sans bridges," he said.
"All 40 families in the villages belong to the Scheduled Caste category and are very poor. So we cannot afford to send our children to a school which his far away," Lal said.
He said that government ordered to club such schools having less than 15 enrolments with the school with over 18 enrollments.
The ZEO did not return repeated calls from Early Times for his comment.
However, CEO Udhampur, Bishan Singh, said that he had directed the ZEO concerned to prepare reports of such school having less than 15 enrollments as per direction of Director School Education Jammu, which will be clubbed in nearest school.
"If anyone gave any representation regarding rationalization of schools, the department already framed a committee to verify the representation. After that the department had taken a suitable decision," Singh said. |
