SRINAGAR: Around 85 students enrolled up to Class 8 at Upper Primary School (UPS) Kandi Bala in Karnah are being taught in just one classroom, highlighting an acute shortage of teaching space at the school in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The school has three rooms in all, but only one is available for regular academic activities. One room is being used as the school office, while the third has been designated for Mid-Day Meal-related activities, including cooking and storage.
As a result, students from different classes, ranging from the primary level to Class 8, have to depend on the lone classroom for regular teaching.
The shortage has made classroom management difficult for teachers and has raised concerns over whether students are able to receive adequate attention and instruction in an environment suitable for learning.
With several classes being accommodated within the limited available space, maintaining a structured teaching schedule and ensuring effective interaction between teachers and students becomes a challenge.
Parents and local residents have urged the concerned authorities to assess the infrastructure requirements of the school and provide additional classrooms and other essential facilities.
They said adequate classroom space is a basic requirement for ensuring a conducive learning environment and that students in remote areas should not be disadvantaged because of deficiencies in basic school infrastructure.
The situation at UPS Kandi Bala also highlights the broader infrastructure challenges confronting educational institutions in remote and difficult-to-reach areas, where shortages of classrooms and other facilities can affect both the functioning of schools and the quality of learning.
For nearly 85 students studying from the primary level through Class 8, the situation raises a fundamental question: how can an effective and conducive learning environment be ensured when only one classroom is available for regular teaching?
