JAMMU: In a high-level review of Jammu and Kashmir’s school education system, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo expressed serious concern over stagnant enrolment figures in government primary schools, even though their number is nearly three times higher than private institutions. The observation emerged as a key discussion point in the wide-ranging meeting held to assess the status of education and implementation of flagship reforms and schemes across the Union Territory.
The meeting, attended by top officials from the School Education Department including the Additional Chief Secretary Shantmanu, Directors of School Education for Jammu and Kashmir, MD Samagra Shiksha, Secretary JKBOSE, and Director SCERT, focused on learning outcomes, infrastructural development, vocational training, digital governance, and new initiatives under the National Education Policy 2020.
Highlighting the paradox of high state spending and poor returns in terms of enrolment, Dulloo directed the department to commission a comprehensive study to understand the underlying causes behind the enrolment stagnation. He emphasised the need to address the issue with urgency, especially since the government-run institutions outnumber private ones significantly.
In a forward-looking move, the Chief Secretary also called for the integration of Artificial Intelligence into the education ecosystem. He directed the development of an AI-based learning module capable of offering customised instruction to students based on their individual performance and learning gaps. He suggested that the department collaborate with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for technical support.
To support real-time governance, Dulloo directed the creation of a comprehensive digital dashboard that would provide class-wise data on student enrolment, teacher availability, academic results, and infrastructure in every school. This, he said, would enable targeted interventions and improve decision-making.
The meeting also took stock of the progress made under various centrally sponsored schemes. Under the PM SHRI scheme, 396 schools have been selected for development with modern infrastructure and experiential learning. As many as 980 civil works were completed during 2024–25 alone at an expenditure of Rs. 94.8 crore. Out of the total 8,902 civil works approved under Samagra Shiksha since 2018–19, about 4,691 have been completed.
In vocational and skill education, 1,350 schools currently offer 15 trades with enrolment touching 1.41 lakh students. Over 17,900 Children with Special Needs have been integrated into mainstream education, and assistive devices have been provided to nearly 5,000 of them.
Digital reforms have significantly transformed school monitoring systems. The JK Attendance App, equipped with geo-tagged facial recognition, is used by over 1.14 lakh employees, while 74 per cent of schools have adopted the Smart Attendance System. Innovations such as the Parent Pulse Bot have added a feedback layer to school governance.
The state-of-the-art Vidya Samiksha Kendra, modelled after Gujarat’s version, has also been established in Jammu to monitor education data in real time. Additionally, 45 Atal Tinkering Labs, 159 STEM Labs and 188 Robotics Labs are in various stages of setup.
With respect to foundational learning under NEP 2020, pre-primary sections have been rolled out in 15,550 schools, supported by toy-based pedagogy and FLN modules developed by SCERT in Urdu and Dogri. Around 16,000 teachers have been trained in foundational literacy, and nearly 1.5 lakh teachers have undergone training under the NISHTHA programme.
On the residential schooling front, 89 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are functional with 5,012 girl students. Of the 85 sanctioned girls’ hostels, 41 have been completed and 22 more are expected to be ready by August 2025. Construction of 25 more hostels is also underway.
The department informed that it aims for 100 per cent saturation of smart classrooms and ICT labs in higher secondary schools by FY 2025–26. Plans to introduce vocational education in 550 more schools and set up nearly 2,000 additional vocational labs are already in motion.
With Rs. 411 crore under Samagra Shiksha, Rs. 43 crore under PM POSHAN, and Rs. 51 crore under PM SHRI already released this fiscal, the Chief Secretary emphasised the need for optimal utilisation of funds with measurable impact. Green initiatives, including vermicomposting and school clean-up drives, are also gaining momentum with over Rs. 6.8 crore allocated for environment-friendly projects.
As Jammu and Kashmir navigates an ambitious path to revamp its education system, the challenge remains to align infrastructure, innovation and governance with student outcomes. The stagnation in enrolment may serve as a wake-up call for the administration to recalibrate its focus towards making government schools a first choice for parents and children alike.
