Jammu and Kashmir school lacks basic infrastructure facilities

PULWAMA - The Government Boys Middle School in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district is devoid of proper classrooms even after the government gave the assurance that quality education would be provided to children living in far-off villages.

Teachers and students of the school say that the education department has failed to provide proper facilities to schools in the area.

The school has about 130 children from nursery or kindergarten till class nine and was constructed in the year 1987 with only three classrooms and has not been upgraded ever since.

“For five years, I’ve been seeing that the biggest problem of the school is the accommodation. There are only four classrooms here and we have to adjust nine classes. From Kindergarten till class nine we have to adjust them in four rooms,” said Muhammad Ashraf, a teacher.

“During rainy season or when the weather is bad, we have to cancel the classes or adjust them in those very classrooms. We have to adjust two to three classes in one room which badly affects our academic results,” he added.

Children are often sitting on the ground simultaneously with students of other classes.

The Chief Education Officer of Pulwama district, Muhammad Rajab, said that another classroom would be added to the school, the land for which has already been acquired.

“As far as accommodation is concerned, I want to say that we will be giving the school an additional classroom. We have also rendered a land for it. There is place for only one room,” said Rajab.

There are only three teachers in the school but Rajab said that other teachers are on leave, and they would soon employ more.

Meanwhile, the school has computers but no computer instructors, physical education teacher or even playgrounds. It has also not been upgraded to a higher secondary level and it has a capacity of only 80 students. By Fayaz Ahmad(ANI)