Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 16: Interference of politicians especially legislators in up-gradation as well as shifting of the schools continues to carry on in the state without any fail and in this whole scenario the concerned students are forced to suffer.
In a latest example, the Department of School Education has shifted the Government Boys High School, Shogepura to Jawalapora village in Central Kashmir's Budgam district. The proposal to shift the school was mooted in December last year and the school got shifted to the new place some days back.
The shifting of school has been referred to as 'bizarre' by most of the people due to some of the reasons. The shifting of the school has meant that thousands of students coming from many villages have to travel some more distance in order to reach the school.
"I am directed to invite your attention towards the above noted subject matter and request you to kindly shift the Government Boys High School, Shogepura to village Jawalapura, Budgam as desired by the Education Minister and furnish a compliance report in this behalf," wrote Under Secretary, School Education Department.
The Under Secretary, School Education Department shot in this correspondence to Director School Education, Kashmir on December 6, 2017 under correspondence number Edu/Gen/119/2017. Following this correspondence, Government Boys High School, Shogepura got shifted to the Jawalapora village.
Early Times has learnt from locals that the inhabitants of Jawalapora village had demanded that the middle school in their village should be upgraded to the high school. Instead of upgrading the existing middle school, the concerned department shifted the Government Boys High School, Shogepura to Jawalapora.
"The newly constructed school building at Jawalapora has come under a cloud as few rooms have been completed so far. On the other side the building housing the Government Boys High School at Shogepura has 16 rooms and it is complete in every respect. Despite this the education department decided to shift the school to Jawalapora village," said locals.
The locals said that decision to shift the Government Boys High School, Shogepura to Jawalapora is politically 'motivated'. They said that the local legislator 'coerced' the minister for education in this regard following which the orders for shifting of the school were issued.
"The Government Boys High School, Shogepura has history attached to it and it was set up more than 70 years back. Despite this importance the education department on the directions of concerned MLA ordered for the shifting of school to the Jawalapora village. Given this fact thousands of students are bound to suffer for no fault of theirs," said locals. The locals said that despite the fact that villages like Hillmission, Sendipora, Goger, Kathware, Hayatpora, Banday Bagh, Dalwan, Bakemnaar and Zazbugh fall in the vicinity of Government Boys High School, Shogepura, the government still chose to shift the school to Jawalapora. On the other hand very few villages fall in the vicinity of Jawalapora village. |
