SRINAGAR: Despite accounting for over 77 percent of schools in Jammu and Kashmir, government-run institutions enrol only 54 percent of the student population, raising concerns over the quality and functioning of the School Education Department.
The Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, in a recent report stated, “The UT has 77.32 percent government schools out of the total number of schools. However, a matter of concern is that only 54.06 percent of students are enrolled in these government-run schools.”
The ministry noted that enrolment in private schools is higher compared to government schools.
“Further, the UT was advised to prioritise improvement in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) at the Higher Secondary level in the coming years,” the report added.
The MoE also pointed out that of the 18,785 government schools in the UT, only 3,304 (17.6 percent) have solar panels installed. It added, “There are very few secondary or senior secondary schools equipped with ICT and computer labs, smart classrooms, and subject-specific laboratories in the UT.”
The ministry suggested that these infrastructural gaps could be addressed within the year. The UT was advised to identify deficiencies through UDISE+ and include the proposals in the current Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) for consideration by the board.
Earlier this week, KNO reported that the MoE had revealed at least 65 government schools in J&K have zero student enrolment. Additionally, over 5,000 primary schools have fewer than 30 students, and more than 1,500 schools are functioning with just 15 students each.
The ministry said, “Out of the total 18,785 government schools in the UT, 65 schools—including 62 primary and three upper primary—have zero enrolment.” (KNO)
