The school education department has been unable to fill posts of five principals, six headmasters and 30 lecturers in Gurez, hitting the smooth functioning of several schools.
Official data gathered by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) revealed that six high schools of the region are without headmasters while similarly five posts of school principals are vacant for years now.
The data also suggested that of 82 lectures, 52 are working in the valley while 30 are vacant for the last several years. “The headless schools include Chrowan, Achoora, Kanzalwan, Journal, Bulingder and Malingam area of the Gurez valley,” it said.
According to local residents, absence of staff at schools is forcing a number of students from economically weaker sections of society to either drop out of schools or to get admitted in private schools.
Many parents said that there were no subject specific teachers in the several schools. “Our wards enrolled in a school are facing immense hardships, “said Mushtaq Ahmad, a parent, adding that many parents have so far decided to enroll their wards in private schools.
“We appeal to the director school education Kashmir to look into this genuine issue and direct the concerned authorities to redress the issue at the earliest,” they said.
An official said that they have already written to higher officials about the vacant posts and efforts are being made to fill the vacancies—(KNO)