SRINAGAR: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday termed the ban on Falah-e-Aam Trust-run schools as unwarranted and an uncalled-for decision in light of the academic contributions of such schools and the spread of moral education in Kashmir.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari said the decision against these schools is fraught with huge consequences that will not only ruin the academic career of thousands of students but will also render hundreds of families of school staff members bereft of recurring sustenance.
“FAT is an apolitical organisation. If at all there were any complaints against any of its Trust members; the same could have been addressed in a more humane manner. Banning FAT schools is totally disproportionate to those claims as it will not only dislodge the students but will create joblessness,” he observed.
Bukhari said the government order is violative of community decisions in a democratic set-up as people would donate community land for building such schools for their children in view of the poor infrastructure available in government-run schools in Kashmir.
Apni Party President remarked that the admission of FAT students in government schools with dismal infrastructure as proposed by the government now; is completely a reflection of a non-application of mind of authorities at the helm of affairs in J&K.
“The already enrolled students in the government sector are facing immense problems on account of infrastructural needs and staff strength. Now shifting the burden of FAT students to the nearby government schools is bound to multiply the already existing problems in government schools,” he opined.
Bukhari said over 300 schools with over 11000 enrollment run by FAT have been contributing satisfactorily in the educational sector in Kashmir since last over five decades and the ban on these schools has come as a shocker for all the stakeholders who wanted to deliver in the field of education.
He urged the Lt. Governor to reconsider this decision keeping in view the larger interests of students enrolled in FAT schools, the livelihood of teachers and other staff members besides the community’s educational requirements in Kashmir.
