Middle school established in the year 1965 continues to function from a rented building since 1999 at Zachaldara in Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
However, a new building has been constructed which is yet to be handed over to the department.
Government Boys Middle School Zachaldara functioning in the educational zone Rajwar is functioning from a rented building for about 150 students with just 5 rooms.
Sources revealed to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that four schools have been clubbed together in 5 rooms only while the role of the institution is 150 including boys and girls causing major inconvenience in the teacher-pupil normal run.
They said that the aforementioned school was established back in 1965 in Zachaldara. Later they said since 1999 it continues to function from the same five-room building.
As per the enrollment, at least 150 students from four schools are presently taught there in the rented building. “There is only one toilet for all including boys, girls, and teachers.”
They also revealed that the new 3-room building constructed by the R&B department is yet to be handed over to the school / concerned education department for the smooth run of the institution. “Rented building will ease the burden. Some classes shall be shifted for more convenient functioning.”
Besides this, they also stated that this is the lone government-run middle school in the Zachaladara tehsil headquarters.
Officials privy to the institution said that at least two classes each day have to be taken under the open sky. “Whenever it rains the problems double. Students have to accommodate facing immense problems. It’s not convenient either for the students or teachers to read and teach satisfactorily,” they said.
Sarpanch of the area Ghulam Mohamamd Magray while expressing concerns said that there is an accommodation problem forcing students to face hardships. “There is an accommodation problem. Single toilet for all. There is not even a proper playground for the students to relax given that co-curricular activities are equally important,” he said.
Shafiq Ahmad in charge Zonal Educational Officer (ZEO) while acknowledging the problem faced by students said that some amount of construction work is pending in the new building. “Officials concerned will be directed to speed up the construction work. Few of the classes shall be shifted to new buildings bringing ease. The new structure as of now is unfenced and needs fencing,” he said.
He said the rented building has about 5 to 6 functional rooms. “It will be sorted very soon.”—(KNO)