VIKAS SHARMA
JAMMU, SEPT 23: Even as the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, has not been formally implemented in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the latest Council for Social Development (CSD)-RTE Status Report 2024 highlights the gaps the region continues to grapple with in access, enrolment, infrastructure, and quality of education.
The report paints a mixed picture of J&K’s school education system. While access to primary schooling has improved, persistent challenges remain, particularly in enrolment, out-of-school children (OoSC), infrastructure, teacher availability, and budget utilisation.
Nationally, J&K accounts for nearly 10 percent of the overall gaps in critical RTE parameters—a figure that raises questions about the UT’s preparedness to realise the promise of universal elementary education.
Access and Enrolment: Numbers Tell a Tale of Concern
On paper, most habitations in J&K have a primary school within 1 km and an upper primary school within 3 km, meeting RTE’s distance norms. Yet, enrolment in government schools has steadily declined, mirroring a national trend where private schools—both aided and unaided—are increasingly preferred.
The shift toward private schooling is particularly sharp in urban areas like Jammu and Srinagar, while rural belts still rely heavily on government institutions. Worryingly, drop-outs are concentrated in remote hilly and border districts such as Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Kupwara, which face both geographical and infrastructural disadvantages.
Out-of-School Children: The Lingering Crisis
India has over 9.3 lakh children out of school at the elementary level, and J&K contributes significantly to this number. The report estimates that the UT accounts for close to 10 percent of the total OoSC burden, with tribal and border areas most affected.
Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, particularly in hilly terrains, are disproportionately left behind. Seasonal migration of Gujjar and Bakerwal families continues to disrupt the schooling of thousands of children. Despite repeated policy assurances, alternative arrangements like mobile schools or seasonal hostels remain grossly inadequate.
Infrastructure Deficit: Schools Without Basics
The RTE Act mandates basic infrastructure—separate toilets for boys and girls, safe drinking water, boundary walls, playgrounds, and adequate classrooms. Yet, the report reveals that many schools in J&K fall short on these parameters.
While some progress has been made through centrally sponsored schemes, the reality remains uneven. Urban schools like those in Jammu city fare better, but rural institutions often lack boundary walls and functional toilets, discouraging attendance—especially among girls—and compromising safety and hygiene.
Teachers: Numbers and Quality Both Short
The report highlights a vacancy crisis in teacher positions across J&K. Several districts report high pupil-teacher ratios, well above the RTE norm of 30:1. Quality is also a concern, with inadequate training, irregular attendance, and a shortage of subject specialists at the upper primary level.
Teacher transfers and postings, often influenced by administrative decisions rather than student needs, further aggravate the imbalance. Experts urge a transparent, merit-based teacher deployment policy to address this chronic weakness.
Budgetary Gaps: Promises vs Practice
Although J&K receives central assistance under schemes like Samagra Shiksha, budget utilisation often lags behind allocations. Delays in fund release and procedural bottlenecks mean essential works—classroom repairs, teaching-learning materials, or teacher training programmes—are either postponed or executed piecemeal.
School education experts caution: “Without urgent corrective action, J&K risks falling behind the national trajectory on education reforms. Targeted investment in tribal and border districts, strict enforcement of RTE norms in private schools, and systemic reforms in teacher management are the need of the hour.”
“While the UT has made strides in expanding access, the challenge now lies in ensuring that every child not only enters school but also stays, learns, and thrives. Jammu and Kashmir’s education story is not about lack of intent, but gaps in execution. Until those gaps are plugged, the constitutional promise of education for all will remain an unfulfilled dream for thousands of children,” they added.
