SRINAGAR: The academic future of thousands of students in Jammu and Kashmir is uncertain as the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE) refuses to accept class 10th examination forms from students enrolled in private schools situated on state land. This decision has raised concerns and questions about the Board’s actions, going against a High Court order issued last year regarding the government directive from the previous year.
The predicament started after the J&K government amended the rules under the Education Act 2002 in 2022, introducing fresh guidelines for the use of land and building structures by private schools in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. Following this, the J&K government directed the immediate closure of private schools on state land, instructing them to cease schooling for enrolled children.
Private school proprietors sought relief from the J&K High Court, obtaining a stay on the government’s order. “This Court in the interest of justice and in the context of the career of the students admitted and studying in the petitioners’ schools deems it fit and proper to direct the respondents to provisionally accord recognitions to the petitioners’ schools,” reads the High Court order issued by Justice Rahul Bharti.
Despite this legal intervention, the refusal by JKBOSE to accept examination forms for class 10th students enrolled in these private schools has put the academic aspirations of thousands at risk.
Kashmir Politicians have strongly reacted to this development, demanding a swift resolution.
Apni Party Chief Altaf Bukhari expressed strong resentment, stating that the future of approximately two lakh students hangs in the balance. He emphasized the need to allow students to appear in exams, with the government deciding the fate of these private schools later.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar also criticised the move, noting that it raises questions about the Board’s actions in defiance of a High Court order.
“The refusal by JKBOSE to accept examination forms for class 10th students enrolled in these private schools has put the academic aspirations of thousands into jeopardy. It’s surprising to see that the JK BOSE is not accepting the forms of students enrolled in these schools despite the High Court orders,” he said.
Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami condemned the J&K Board of School Education’s refusal to accept forms from students of private schools built on state land, terming it a “blatant disregard” of the High Court order.
“The decision of JKBOSE about not accepting examination forms from schools erected on state land is flagrant disregard for the High Court’s stay order,” Tarigami wrote on X.
He highlighted that this decision puts the future of thousands of students at risk and appealed to JKBOSE to withdraw the order immediately.
