Rather Alamgeer
Srinagar 6 May (KNB): Residents of Manchowa village and its adjoining areas of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, aghast for not having appropriate structure for a school which has been operating at a private establishment for almost couple of decades.
Several locals of Manchowa reached out to news agency Kashmir News Bureau and said that despite decades of being functional in a private building, there is a dearth of space and unavailability of proper infrastructure, causing utmost inconvenience to students.
“Around 78 students are registered at the institution and have been suffering due to the lack of proper infrastructure day in out,” they said, adding that no one from administration or school education department cares about the future of the Union Territory.
“As many students visit the school every day to take education, the morale of the students gets low by just entering the campus cause of the pathetic situation of the school as it has been functioning at a rented building (under the Department of School Education),” another local said.
There is not sufficient space & other facilities like toilets, playgrounds, library, etc for students at the institution.
Talking to Kashmir News Bureau, a female student on basis of anonymity said, “we have no playground to indulge in activities and apart from that, there is not even proper space to have the food or discuss things with other students during the break time.
“Oh! the noisy & busy roads causes utmost disturbance, while taking the classes,” she said, adding that no doubt students can’t focus on the lectures properly.
While talking to KNB, a 13 years old student said, “We couldn’t focus on our studies in the 8th class. While some of the students didn’t even get sufficient material from the school to continue their studies.”
A local resident Sajad Ahmad 39 years old from Manchowa said, we did not bear to send our children there ,because in that school we did not realize that our children’s groom up & compete with other students in the near future.
However, while talking to Kashmir News Bureau, in charge headmaster of the school, Mohd. Shafi Rather admitted that students are facing difficulties from a long time.
As per him, just because the institution does not have it’s own structure; the school has lost its importance in the eyes of the students as well as the residents of the vicinity.
He said that it is very difficult to accommodate the students & it’s the main reason the number of enrollment is decreasing session after session.
Headmaster Rather said that they have raised the issue with concerned authorities and afterwards authorities appraised the concerns last year and assured to resolve the issue within a limited period of time.
He said that the then DC Budgam Dr. Sehrish Asgar took her stand into the matter and visited the government land at Manchowa, but due to her early transfer the issue remains on the table as it was decades ago.
“Now due to the pandemic we are not able to do anything,” he added.
Regarding the issue, CEO Budgam told news agency Kashmir News Bureau that the institution is functioning on rent basis (in the private building) due to non-availability of government land in the area.
“I will look into the matter personally,” he assured, adding that he will also discuss the matter with ZEO of B. K Pora on priority basis. (KNB)