J&K: Students remain away from schools, colleges

Despite board exams around the corner, the education of children continues to suffer in Kashmir due to the prolonged uncertainty in the Valley.

All the educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, remain closed since August 5 when the Center scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated the state into two union territories.

The subsequent spontaneous shutdown, restrictions and information blockade ensured that the students stay away from their schools and colleges for the past almost one and a half months. Though the government has claimed that around 4000 schools up to 10th standard have been reopened, but the attendance of students in these schools is almost nil.

In the third week of August, the government asked the teachers to report back to their duties but no students have turned to the schools so-far. “We conduct daily inspections of schools but find no student. Only those teachers have reported back to duties, who are posted close to their homes,” an official of the Education Department told DH.

The schools are witnessing ‘zero’ attendance at a time when it is preparing for holding annual exams of students from class 10th to 12th, to be conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE).

“The department has asked students of secondary and senior secondary classed to submit their exam forms but exams can be only held if students report to schools,” the official said and added only 50% of the syllabus had been completed in class 10th to 12th.

“Recently, the department held a meeting with chief education officers (CEOs) to take feedback about the completion of syllabus. All the CEOs informed that 50% syllabus is incomplete which makes chances of holding exams bleak,” he added.

Also, the department has been caught in a catch-22-situation for holding exams of lower classes (from primary to class 9th as the students have not completed their syllabus.

“If the decision to hold an annual exam couldn’t materialize, then the department may go for evaluating students through the continuous evaluation system. The concerned schools have held Term I exams and the second term marks will be awarded as per the performance of students in previous exams,” a renowned educationist said.

As per the schedule the annual exams in Kashmir are held every year in October. “While preparation for holding exams have been started, nobody in the department is certain given the zero response of students to attend schools,” he said.

Uncertainty is also glaring at the students of colleges and universities. Though officially, the government has announced that schools have been reopened, there is no word about higher secondary schools, colleges and universities.

“There is an apprehension of protests if colleges and universities are reopened. In all likelihood, college and university students will lose one semester as there is no possibility of opening of higher educational institutions in the near future,” a senior police officer told DH.