Majid Jahangir
Srinagar, April 1:  More than 3,100 government schools across Jammu and Kashmir have had zero or less than 10 student enrolment since 2022, even as over 2,500 teachers continue to be posted in these institutions.
The data was released by J&K Education Minister Sakina Itoo in a written reply to a question from BJP legislator R S Pathania in Assembly last week.
Data shows that a total of 3,192 schools across the union Territory fall in the category of zero or less than 10 enrolment, while 2,518 teachers are currently employed in these schools.
In the Jammu division, districts with the highest number of such schools include Kathua with 508 schools, followed by Udhampur with 188, Rajouri with 174, Reasi with 161, Jammu with 130, Doda with 111 and Kishtwar with 89 schools.
Smaller numbers were reported from Samba with 60 schools, Ramban with 56 and Poonch with 17. Altogether, the Jammu division accounts for 1,494 schools with low enrolment, where 1,934 teachers are currently posted.
In the Kashmir division, Baramulla recorded the highest number with 396 schools, followed by Shopian with 270, Kupwara with 228, Anantnag with 168, Bandipora with 156, Ganderbal with 138, Pulwama with 102, Budgam with 96, Srinagar with 90 and Kulgam with 54 schools. The Kashmir division has a total of 1,698 such schools with 584 teachers posted in them.
J&K former education minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader Naeem Akhtar said the data reflects the government’s insensitivity toward education.
“We expected it (J&K government) to do more on education and health, given it is free from law-and-order pressures. Instead, it has failed to address basic issues in education, reducing the department to a source of employment for teachers while hundreds of schools have few or no students and declining enrollments,” Akhtar said.
An educationist said that the posting of so many teachers in schools that have zero or less than 10 student enrolment was an issue of mismanagement and not governance failure.
“J&K has a teacher transfer portal which is generally used for teacher transfer. The same portal can be ably used for teacher rationalisation as well. The portal is quite capable in showing teacher vacancies with grade and subject. ..…The solution is to use the transfer portal to its actual use, which is teacher rationalisation, and not merely as a teacher transfer too,” he said.