Dozens of schools without buildings

Dozens of newly established schools are without buildings due to the non-availability of the land for their construction.Interestingly the educational authorities in many zones of the valley have asked the ReT teachers appointed in these schools to manage the land for the construction of school buildings in their respective villages or face punishment. Sources said that a number schools established under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the valley during last few years either function in the rented rooms or have been clubbed with already existing nearby schools as there is no land available for the construction of the buildings for them in the habitations or villages the schools were established.

The teachers working in the said schools in many educational zones of south Kashmir told News agency that the concerned zonal educational officers have withheld their salaries for clubbing with the nearby schools. “Since our school has no building of its own and the former Zonal education officer (ZEO) on seeing us taking the classes under the open sky directed

us to club with nearby middle school till the land is made available for the construction of our own school building. But ironically the present ZEO two months ago withheld our salaries asking us to separate our schools from the ones we have clubbed with,” said a teacher from a south Kashmir educational zone.

He said not only they but also the teachers appointed in the newly established schools in many other zones have been asked by their concerned ZEOs to manage the land for the construction of the school buildings. “We had got clubbed with other nearby schools for the benefit of the children. We do not have any problem in separating our schools and making the children study in open. But irony is that the concerned ZEOs are asking us to either provide our own land or manage the same for the construction of the school buildings,” said a group of teachers whose salary has been withheld. A top official in the education department said that it is not only south Kashm ir but in the entire valley hundreds of newly established schools are with out buildings.

He blamed the government for its inefficiency in retrieving huge chunk of state land encroached by the people across the valley particularlyin the villages “In almost every village the people have illegally occupied big pastures of land. If government comes into action and retrieve the same from the encroachers the problem of the non-availability of the land for the construction of the school buildings will be solved once for all,” he said. When contacted minister of state for education, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed said the problem of non-availability of land for construction of school buildings is not everywhere but at few places only. "We have almost managed the land for this purpose in every area the schools were established. If problem remains at some places we are trying to solve the problem by involving the locals of that area," minister said.