SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday called for introducing the ALOHA mental arithmetic programme in government schools across Jammu and Kashmir, saying students should be provided equal opportunities to compete at national and international levels.
Addressing the award ceremony of the ALOHA National Level Competition-2026 Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Omar said education and health remain the two key responsibilities of the government and require sustained investment.
“Education is the foundation of everything. Without education, what can we achieve? Education and health: without these two things, there is no point in getting anything else,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the government was working to strengthen the education system and prepare students for the challenges posed by a rapidly changing world.
He stressed the need to introduce emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, into the curriculum and equip students with skills required for the future.
Omar also flagged student retention as a major challenge, saying Jammu and Kashmir performs comparatively well at the primary and middle-school levels but sees a significant decline in retention as students move to higher classes.
He called for concrete measures at the secondary-school level to reduce dropout rates and ensure that students remain within the education system through higher secondary education.
The Chief Minister also called for greater cooperation between government and private schools, saying the two systems should not be viewed as competitors.
“Children studying in both government and private schools are equally the future of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, calling for policies that allow private educational institutions to contribute effectively to the education sector.
Referring to legislation on private universities introduced this year, Omar said the move was intended to create more opportunities within Jammu and Kashmir and reduce the need for students to leave the region in search of quality private higher education.
The Chief Minister also appreciated the participation of students from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, other parts of the country and abroad in the ALOHA competition.
He noted the participation of students from Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan, besides international participants, saying their presence in Srinagar reflected growing educational and cultural engagement with Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar congratulated the participating students for their performance in mental arithmetic and appreciated the role of their parents, teachers and ALOHA International.
“You are all winners. Whether you took back a trophy from here or not, just being here and being able to compete is a victory and is a win,” he said.
He said the government would explore ways to introduce the ALOHA programme in government schools to widen access to such learning opportunities.
“This is something that we need to incorporate into the government school system as well, so that we give our children a level playing field,” Omar said.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Director School Education Kashmir Naseer Ahmed Wani, ALOHA founder and president Loh Mun Sung, Director International ALOHA Kiran Motwani and MD ALOHA J&K Mubashir Wafai, besides students, teachers and parents, attended the event.
