Last Updated on November 16, 2021 at 1:52 pm
The quality of education given to students in Kashmir can well be imagined by seeing the Government Higher Secondary School Behnipora in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
To an utter shock it is working in a three-room building and moreover the staff is also not sufficient.
An official said that nearly 200 students were studying in 9th and 10th while in 11th and 12th classes, 300 odd students were enrolled in arts, medical and non-medical streams. He further informed that there are only 4 lecturers of the 14 sanctioned posts of lecturers and others remained vacant.
The official informed that for medical and non-medical streams only Zoology, Information Technology (IT), and Electronics had permanent staff and for Botany, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics no lecturer was posted.
Due to lack of proper space and proper facilities, students are compelled to attend lectures under open sky during cold weather. Moreover, lack of accommodation and making them sit completely filled three classrooms goes against the COVID-19 SoPs.
Sarpanch Behnipora Muhammad Kamal told Greater Kashmir that how will the new entrants and students retain when there is lack of basic amenities. He informed that the focus should be more on providing proper and quality education with all the basic facilities.
The locals said that it is the oldest school but government never showed any interest towards its development.
Locals also informed that the school was located close to the forests and the lack of fencing posed a threat of wild animal attacks on students studying here.
They said that they had brought these issues to the notice of the concerned authorities numerous times but of no use.
Deputy Chief Education Officer, Kupwara, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat said that the department will hopefully fill all the vacant posts of lecturers across the district in the next year so that the students don’t suffer.
