“Despite rationalization of Government schools in J&K state two years back, There is a dire need to inventorise a framework roadmap for complete revamping of education sector in state”
Two years after it’s rationalization of government schools at primary level, the state education department is yet to streamline the teacher-pupil ratio in majority of schools that come under it’s jurisdiction. The ministry of Human resources development (MHRD) in it’s detailed roadmap released has picked up holes in rationalization process (Greater Kashmir reports 15 oct. 2017). MHRD in it’s report states that 1720 elementary government run schools are run by single teacher adding to the sufferings of already conflict torn valley.The figures have come to fore after two years of much hyped rationalization of government schools started by the present dispensation in 2015 in wake of 124 government schools that were found to be with no student in their rolls. However these schools were functioning for years in dilapidated conditions in one or two room accommodation indecisively much to the dishonour of education setup in state. Meanwhile the MHRD roadmap has also found lacunas in learning enhancement, innovative methods of technology dissemination and remedial education for students enrolled in these institutions. The roadmap has suggested that department should go for school based recruitment in order to address deficiency of teachers in rural areas and in most affected one’s. Also,there is no clear process specified for identification of students, need analysis & post assessment of students for quality evaluation. Conflict too has had a significant impact on the quality education of children in Kashmir since insurgency. Periodic and prolonged spells of unrest have paved way to continuous closure of educational department and hence the need arises for various stakeholders including government, civil society, and resistance groups to chalk out a comprehensive strategy and negotiate terms to continue education respecting civic sentiments.Students are aware and also concerned at the same time that unrest impacts education and that is why an appreciable proportion of students (about 37.5 %CHINAR Internationals) considered leaving Kashmir during the unrest of 2016 for continuance of their education. Out of those who considered migrating, 12.3 % actually ended up migrating during the 2016 unrest. Despite the concern that unrest impacts education, there is substantial and paradoxical support for hartal among the student community as only 25 % of students said they were against hartals. This inclination supports the view that students are supportive to the resistance calls given by unified Hurriyat. Student support for hartal stems from their political beliefs and disbelief in the prevailing education system that remorsefully had lead the state of education in state to a position of downgrace. While the resolution to the conflict remains elusive, students also perceive education as a dead end with unrelentless exercise from the department to solve the impending crisis of degrading educational setup. Kashmiri students are aware of the fact that their learning levels and exposure to technical and professional educationis significantly lagging behind their counterparts in other states. Surveys conducted at national level have revealed that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has consistently been scoring low in terms of learning levels among36 states and union territories in Language and in Mathematics. Only Bihar and Chattisgarh scored lower than the state of Jammu & Kashmir. According to DISE (District Information System for Education) Annual Report 2014-15,J&K ranks 29th out of 36 states and Union Territories in primary and upper primary education with both students and parents in Kashmir reciprocating the above assessment in wake of prevailing situation in state. There is also a general disillusionment with the wider establishment that is perceived to be corrupt and that impacts the ability of students to pursue career goals and contributes to a broader support for boycotting the system during unrest. Students in Kashmir are willing to talk about conflict regardless of their political inclination. All stakeholders are concerned about securing the future of children and youth of Kashmir, but no one is seriously thinking about it. There is a misleading perception in certain section of the society that education has remained immune to the unrest. Above all it is the lack of teaching accountability and most of all, prolonged shutdowns that have compromised the competency levels of students significantly below peer level. When resistance leadership calls for hartal there is no specification with regard to exemption of any group including heath or elsewere education department, though it is presumed that there is exemption since such services are essential even during unrest. If students including their peersvalue education and regard it as essential despite their participation in stone pelting and hartal vigilantism, therewill be ease and exemption will prevail on it’s own with regard to education department and in facilitationof the movement of teachers and students during unrest, but it is there sheer negligence and unnecessary hooliganism that add fuel to the fire already fired by political gimmicks of state that it suffers the worst.Further in reinforcement of that perception, it is lack of quality education and employment opportunities that have remained major contributing factors. As a result, while the sense of loss in education during unrest is acknowledged, there is not enough motivation to address that loss. Education anyhow should not be politicized. There should be concrete efforts from every quarter to rejuvenate that thirst among student community and eliminate any awkward perception in their minds that lead them to cauldrum. Seperatists should take it as a moral responsibility and obligation to pave way for smooth running of educational institutions during clampdown. State administration department with school education department also need to devise a framework policy of how to keep schools open during these continuous hartals. We all know, hartal in Kashmir is a regular feature imposed occasionally. If we continue with same, time is not far when we will see a generation of illiterates and dacoits as it is education that keep the generations under check from anti social activities and vigilantism. Resistance leadership could advocate exemption of education from hartal but that might only partially solve the problem and there could still be apprehensions about the functioning of educational institutions during unrest. Nevertheless, support from the resistance leadership on this front is a fundamental pre-requisite given the fact that they hold sway among the protestors, who almost invariably comprise of students. They should not advocate this support as political success rather it should be used as tool to educate, encourage and establish a pool of young scholars who can be torch bearers in enlighting that path towards success. In order to plug the remaining contingencies, there is need to supplement the proposed outreach by resistance group with certain compensatory solutions and substitutes. Students in Kashmir are willing to talk about conflict regardless of their political inclination and there is definitely a culture of political tolerance and pluralism in this regard among the students. There is need to establish social and political forums that harness this outlook and channel it towards positivity and a compensatory devising of policy mechanism could fulfill the gap that have created void so far as education in state is concerned. Contours of student politics could be explored but students could also be given social spaces to express their concerns about their education, about conflict, and various other issues pertaining to their career. Civil society could facilitate dialogue individually or in collaboration with state departments on education between resistance leadership, government, teachers and students. Dialogue around an individual component of unrest is justifiable on its own and does not have to held ransom to the core political issue. Department of school education should invest in continuous monitoring of schools to ensure teacher accountability and practical solutions to uplift the already degraded systemic educational setup. Teacher accountability is the main factor in improving quality of education. All that can be done at the moment is to revamp the policy in place and decisively create a framework comprehensive roadmap to incline the dispersiveness towards common attire.
Author is currently DST INSPIRE Fellow and persuing Doctorate in Biotechnology from CSIR IIIM Jammu can be reached at biotechumar@gmail.com
