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| Earthquake aftermath: Students ratio go down in the absence of School buildings | | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | October 8
Developmental works and the rehabilitation programmes might be going on with a good pace in the earthquake affected areas of Uri and Tangdar, as per official claims. But the education sector in the twin areas is still the worst hit, due to lack of proper schools buildings.
With October 8, 2005 earthquake, almost every school building unlike the residential houses in the hilly areas of Uri and Tangdhar, were raised to ground. Two years down the line, schools are yet being constructed. This has resulted in the increase in the drop out rate of the students.
And, as the situation prevails from last two years now, the school going children are the worst suffers. "Schools usually run under an open sky or in the tin sheds constructed by HUDCO soon after the quake," said Ghulam Mohammad a local of Boniyar Uri.
Mohammad who is running a garment shop in main town Uri said, "Education sector has been neglected by government in its post-earthquake reconstruction programme in Uri. Funds meant for the reconstruction of schools have been misutilized".
He added that cent percent school buildings were destroyed in the earthquake in Uri and Jula blocks, and rued that none of these buildings has yet been constructed. "Government has issued tenders for the reconstruction of schools in Uri. But only few plinths have been constructed in some villages till now and no buildings has been constructed," informed Mohammad.
Similar is the condition in Tangdhar, where situation of the education sector, according to Peer Shahid Ahmad, a local, is similar to that in Uri. "Hardly any school is erected in Tangdhar area. Students have to study under open sky. They have to remain at home during rainy days," he said.
The lack of proper school buildings in Uri and Tangdar areas is proving dangerous for the health of education system, as students as per reports are spending more time at home than at schools. Parents rue that the "academic career of their wards is at stake".
"The precious time of students is getting wasted due to lack of schools buildings, as mostly there are off days due to rains and due to other problems, than the working days, in most of the schools in Uri. This way the academic career of students here is at risk," said Zaheer Beigh, lawyer, a resident of Uri.
The people in Uri and Tangdar also claim that the post-earthquake situation of education sector in these hilly areas has resulted in decrease in the count of the students going to school. "When there are no buildings for schools, parents, mostly poor and illiterate, prefer their children to sit at home, for seeking their labour in reconstruction of their houses rather than sending them to school," said Shafat Khan, who is working in Uri and Tangdhar with some NGO for rehabilitation purposes. He cited an example, where an illiterate father in Uri providing a lame excuse of "non availability of school building in the village", as a reply for a query about his son's not going to school.
The trend as per sources is in rise in the two earthquake hit areas. Some parents are sending their wards to other places of the state for seeking education. "I admitted my son and daughter in a private school in Baramulla, the expenses of which I hardly endure," said Dilawar Khan, of Bimyar Uri, who is laborer by profession.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Isfandiyar Khan said that the construction of schools in Tanghdar is going on and refuted the claims of the people about the increase in the drop out rate in the area. SDM Uri, Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh, however, refused to comment on the issue. "I have joined two days back and I am not able to comment as yet," he said. |
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