Vol: 03 | Issue: 09 | 11th - 17th April 2016 | Monday | English Weekly | Pages: 16 | Rs: 5/-

Asif shAhbAz

Khaitangan

Ten years back, when every child was dressed in school uniform, a six year old girl, Afrooza Bashir, used to take the way of pasture near by a school to graze her cattle. Afrooza Bashir, a resident of Khai-tangan village of north Kashmir’s Baramu-lla district, is youngest daughter of Bashir Ahmad Lone, a laborer by profession. It is believed globally that education can eradicate the poverty from the developing countries; however in this village of north Kashmir, it seems that it is poverty which has eradicated education.Bashir Ahmad Lone is father of seven daughters. Due to his poor economical conditions he had decided to keep his daughters away from education. However Bashir’s wife Misra Begum who didn’t want to keep her off spring’s illiterate came to fore front. She somehow managed to admit her five daughters in a Govt. school from time to time by weaving fabrics and tai-loring clothes of others. But unfortunately when Afrooza's turn came to get admitted in school, her father became a patient of diabetes and other serious health ailments. He required lot of money for his treatment. As a result schooling of Afrooza became a distant dream for the family, especially to her mother. This forced Afrooza to look

after house hold work and to rear cattle in her childhood days. Her day started with milking a cow fol-lowed by grazing a herd of cattle in a local pasture adjacent to Govt. Middle school Khaitangan. Every morning when Afroo-za saw her peers in uniform to school, her eyes became moist. At several occasions, she fought with her family members for not sending her to school. Afrooza said that whenever she used to pass by the school with her cattle she felt pleasant to see a group of children reading in front of black board. “She always wanted to read and write. She was totally disappointed with us. Even she stopped to take food for days altogether, "said Shaheena, Afrooza’s elder sister. But fate has kept something different for Afrooza. Once an ‘angel’ knocked at her door with an option to join school. This ‘an-gel’ was not any Noble prize winner work-ing for girl education, but a local school headmaster, Bashir Ahmad Lone, a resi-dent of Singhpora village, who struggled hard to open doors of school for a Afrooza. Besides headmaster of the school, Mudasir Bakhshi a teacher in the same school also helped the girl by various means. “We regularly spotted her around the school with cattle. An innocent female child, i approached her to know her prob-lems. I along with my staff visited her house next day and met her parents and motivated them to send her school. We took all responsibilities of fees, books, uni-form, on our shoulders and admitted her in the school," said Bashir Ahmad.

While lauding the headmaster’s role for her child’s education, Misra said that she has no words to thank him and other staff.Now Afrooz is 19 years old and has passed her 8th standard from Govt. Girls Middle School Khaitangan. Afrooza is no more an illiterate. Now she can read and write as an average student.Afrooza wants to continue her studies as she wants to be teacher. She believes teaching is a noble profession as it bene-fits others as it helped her. She wants to study more but economic conditions back home somehow always prove a hurdle in her achieving the success.

FROM CATTLE TENDER TO SCHOOL IDOLIZER

In the era of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, a Government primary school was established in 1956 at Tathamulla Boniyar. 5 km's away from tehsil headquarters this school even after 60 years of its es-tablishment is still without a building. A rented building and few students is how all it started. It was in year 1992 Tathamula school was upgraded up to middle rank. The school is being run in a rented building. After a certain fear and pressure from village heads this school was shifted to another resi-dential building to continue with. The roll of school and teacher is 35/6 ratio.The school children face so many problems due to inadequate facilities like transport, lack of drinking water, toilet. With a good roll of students, this rented building is still without a lavatory point. During summer season teachers also face so many problems to teach children in one rented room. Mostly they teach students outside because they have no sufficient rooms and they try to accommodate in open sky."We have a school but without building. Tell me how we can study, we don't have play ground, drinking water facilities. We appeal to education department please provide us building where we study easily. Please provide us a space where we can avail basic facilities of playground, a toilet point and drinking water facilities" said 8th class student Mohammad Nadeem.The villagers alleged that area has been sidelined due to political reasons. We face the wrath of one politician or the other. In every field we are being avoided.

TALEOF AMIDDLE SCHOOL

AAbiD RAThERTathamulla, boniyar

i EARn moRE ThAn An AvERAgE govERnmEnT EmployEE

ADnAn DARbARAmullA

Every person has his set of dreams. And ev-ery human being, dreams big. But seldom everyone gets fully what he has once dreamt. Dreaming big is not a crime but what makes it ugly is getting stuck on your big dreams and not moving on. To move on is a really great step that has the capability of taking you near your dreams.One such example of moving on, chasing his dreams and forgetting about the past, is of a young teenage boy who like every other boy of his age had dreams of doing some-thing big but destiny had some other plans for him. Ishfaq Majeed Naikoo, now 23 years old, an entertaining boy from Shah e Hamdan Colony, Baramulla, was happy with what life had given him and was living his life like an average boy of a any middle class would live in. With his father feeding the family there was certain happiness around .But unfortunately his happiness was short lived as the only earning member of his family (his father who was a carpenter by profession) injured himself while working. He fell down from the ceiling injuring him badly. The hardships began to erupt on this family with ailing father, small siblings and no one to earn. Everything seemed to be freezing and drastic .But instead of wasting time over cursing what destiny had done to him Ishfaq Majeed stood up for himself and his family. Today, a jolly smile on his face at-tracts customers in numbers. With absolutely no backup to start a grand business, Ishfaq started to sell the traditional Kashmiri Snack known as “Masala Cyott”, while still being a 10th standard student. Gradually he started to support his family and through proper education he helped his younger brother to achieve his dreams. He provided him good education. Now years have passed since then. Ishfaq is a college student and his father has recovered and is currently working as a laborer. Despite being poor he has managed to keep his family income normal.Today Ishfaq is happy with what he did in long past by opting this profession. He aspires to do graduation in future but says that he would never leave what he is doing because this is what managed him to move ahead in hard times. Ishfaq a B.A first year student wants to complete his education through IGNOU, because he wants to earn while keep-ing his studies going on. His message to youth of his age who are waiting for Govt. jobs since years, not to remain stuck to the government sector because it is not possible for the government to provide jobs for all but to look for other opportunities that they can utilize so that they can earn and sustain in this world.“On an average basis I earn more than one thousand rupees per day. I don’t shy away roaming in the streets of Bara-mulla and doing my business. You can watch me outside Boys Degree College selling ‘Masala Cyott’ to students and teachers. They are classmates. As far as this business is supporting me and my family, it is good instead of sitting idle. I earn more than an average government employee and there is no fun of shying away from this business,” Ishfaq said. He further added nothing is big or small, if it can feed you, it is worth doing .I am proud of earning by selling “Masala Cyott” as the earnings are sufficient for me .If I would have waited for a Govt. job I would have starved myself and my family. But I took the proper steps and now I am here- A degree holder ‘Masala Cyott Wala’ (smiles).

“Had i waited for a Govt job Iwould have starved myself and my family. But I took proper steps and nowI am here - A degree holder ‘Masala Cyott Wala’ (smiles).

Printer, Publisher & Editor : MUNEEB UL HAQ Executive Editor: NOOR UL HAQ Graphics: EESHAN PEERPublished from: 3rd Floor, Bilal Complex, Opp Sherwani Hall Baramulla. Printed at: Access Publications Zainakote Srinagar

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bAni umAR

Poetry is a strain of literature that uses aesthetic & rhythmic qualities of language such as, phonaesthetics, Sound symbolism & Matter to evoke meanings in addition to or in place of the prosaic ostensible meaning. Although there is no doubt there are as many definitions of poetry as there are poets. For e,g. we will here take the example of a natural poet William Wordsworth, he defines poetry as “The spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”. Even some thinkers share views like that poet is known as the olfactory organ of society and he plays the same role in the society as nose plays in the normal human body. When we analyze history there we witness many examples, which throws ocean of light on the role of poet in society. When we read William Wordsworth he leads our journey towards the nature. When we read Aga Shahid Ali we feel he not only immortalized his homeland in his poetry, but also transformed the nature of English verse. As a Kashmiri I know we mostly prefer to read Urdu poets instead of English. But in Urdu we also deliver lots of examples like Iqbal, Faiz, Jalib etc. Alama has played a vital role in awakening the Islamic world. Faiz Ahmed Faiz on the other hand shared the ideas of the revolution through poetry. Kashmir known as the conflict zone, because of the innocent killings, rapes, here now most of the intellectuals who posses any talent tries to capture the image of op-pressed people. Novels like ‘Half Mother’, ‘Curfewed Night’, and ‘The Collaborator’ are the best examples for us. Poet community of Kashmir is also trying to narrate the pain of people who are currently victims of conflict. “A Walk With Nature” by Lubna Binti Nayeem can be counted as an excellent piece of writing as far as the poets of conflict ridden zones are seen. This book “A Walk With Nature “contains one hundred thirty-five poems in total. Author of the book Lubna Binti Nayeem is the resident of Daulatpora Kreeri. Lubna is medical student and the daughter of former militant commander Late Ghulam Mohammad Parray. Ghulam Mohammad Parray was a Govt. teacher by profession and a great poet of 90’s. His poetic name was Nayeem Siddiqi. He has written two books one in Urdu titled as “Lahoo Rang Wadiya” and another in Kashmiri “Yaad Paemaoey Bea”. In poetry Lubna says my father is my model. She says actually my father was a pious and religious poet in 90’s. But after attaining martyrdom the pen used to be in his fingers stopped writing, so I thought it is my responsibility now to hold that pen once again and to carry on with his mission.The book “A Walk With Nature” starts with the “Dear mom”. This poem demon-strates how her mother filled the wide of a father’s loss. As poetess says,

“When i came to this misery worldI found my mirth under the furled

A snag was put on my heartKnowing my fortune is turbid a lotWhat could I do to my sleety life?

My perch is full of thorny knifeAdept or you and his gave

You indulge my life, such a braveThe dawn of life could drag me freeHow could it before your adept tree

Cuddle you when away is meser landYour words are like the bards hand”

I personally sense that this poem impressed me a lot, as poetess has filled this poem with love and loss both. As Lubna has already mentioned in the book that, “This volume has been written with caution and care and is free of negative thoughts which can be dangerous to our generation. After scanning this book I too posses the same view that this book is free from negative thoughts and her view about nature is unique and quite different. At last I deeply congregate Lubna Binti Nayeem for her remarkable work and wish her all the best with these words of Alama Mohammad Iqbal (R.A) another world exists beyond the stars.

Writer is studying at Amar Singh Collegeand can be reached at baniumer@gmail.com

Education is one of the most pious achievements, which one can achieve through educational institutions globally. The im-portance of education can never be counted or even explained in words. Education is one of the most important assets which we need for our overall development. Only an educated society can save and preserve the essence of humanity i.e. dignity of life. Honestly education has nothing to do with politics neither to-day nor ever .Education make us to keep our heads high and let our thoughts float freely in the air of knowledge and wisdom. But ironically, the encroachment of politics into our education system have ruined the freedom of thoughts, expression, belief, faith, wisdom and knowledge and this proved to be the most alarming and destructive obstruction in the educational and psychological development of our youth .The case of Kanhaiya of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi is an open and very recent example that how political tacts have been used to ruin the words and thoughts of students. Is there really any law that a student can not enjoy freedom of speech and expression? If yes, kindly update us, if no, kindly update them who believe

and depict that it’s a crime. Involvement of such dirty politics has made educational system corrupt and now what they are imparting is no more a pious education.We seek education for making ourselves more civilized ,more cultured and more intellectual but in reality we are becoming more and more aggressive and yes how can we forget intoler-ance ,which is a part of the same education, distinct us from those of animals and other species present in the universe. But this type of political weapons is used politely to make us more insensitive than animals. If we talk about Vedas and the holy Qur’an, they explained that “education is the most important part of a human life because it adds meaning to the life by promoting knowledge, enhancing wisdom and spreading love amongst them.” And now-a-days the scenario is just reversed and all credit goes to this ugly face of politics. The situation at NIT Srinagar is the result of this hatred which was nurtured by these political hypocrites. And again who is the victim? The students, their emotions, their values and their life .This is the time to understand the values of education: an education which is free from all such obstruction because it leads towards de-struction and nothing else. You will never need an ugly politi-cal platform to uplift you when you prove yourself as an intel-lectual in the real sense.

Education has nothing to do with Politics

Adv Mudasir Naqshbandiadv.mudasir@yahoo.com

A WALKWITH NATURE

WAsEEm AzizWeb.waseem@gmail.com

For last few decades, in spite of being one of the most beautiful places on the planet, Kashmir has not been so beautiful educationally. On one side there have been herculean advancements in sci-ence & technology and we have been talking about inter-planetary travel but contrary to this we, in Kashmir, have failed to uplift the educational stan-dards of our children. Although there has been mushroom growth of government as well as pri-vate educational institutions but that has not been of much help qualitatively. Not only government schools but private schools also have failed to come at par with the educational standards and strategies that are being adopted globally.

Some of the core areas where we need to concen-trate are:

1. Teachers: Teachers are supposed to be torch-bearers for a society but for a long time now they have failed to deliver effectively. There have been lapses on both sides. On one side the govern-ment has failed to uplift the stature of teachers and on the other side teachers too did not fail to add salt to injury. It is important to mention here that teachers have been over-burdened and subjected to unnecessary tasks like Mid-day meals (MDM), col-lection of data by local administrations, conduct-ing surveys etc. Being an optimist I am of the opinion that a good teacher can always over-power these hurdles. While being interviewed, some 5 years back, the interviewer asked me “What would you do and how would you teach if you are teaching in a classroom with no teaching aids?” I smiled back and replied in no time “Sir, the best teaching aid in a classroom is the teacher itself ”.But a firm belief in such a con-cept is a prerequisite to be a successful teacher.

2. Capacity-building and Teachers’Training Programmes: So many institutions are in place to carry out teachers’ training in our department but that does not seem to help at all. In the govern-ment sector Teachers’ Training Programmes have become more of an incentive earning programmes (as teachers are paid incentives for attending these training programmes) than a source of capac-ity-building. There is a dire and immediate need of revisiting the approaches and methodologies of these programmes. Personally, I would suggest to utilizing the services of some professional consul-

tancies or non-governmental agencies to cater this need than to spend millions without fetching any positive results.

3. Skill-based/ vocational education: There is a famous proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him one day, teach him how to catch fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. It is high time to put this proverb in to practice and start imparting skill-based & vocational education to children than to go for vocational-training afterwards. We ought to un-derstand the difference between vocational educa-tion and vocational training.Vocational education stands for imparting skill during formal education while as vocational training is to impart a skill or training after completion of formal education.

4. Innovation in education:Children as well as teachers should always let to find alternative approaches to situations and problems. There can always be a better way and our way may not always be right. To be more creative and to let our children be creative we ought to come out of our habitual schedule and think out of box. Driving the children more curious makes them more creative. We have been lagging far behind in this aspect but it’s high time that we bring in innovation into education if we are to impart quality education.

5. Smart-Teaching:For a teacher it is as im-portant to know how to teach as to know what to teach. Content and methodology are lame without one another. The teachers need to find ways and means to keep the students involved and improve the learning curves of each and every individu-al child. Teachers need to be icons of knowledge, wisdom & understanding and ought to come out of long-standing conceptions of teaching. As teachers, we have to adapt to the globalization and techno-logical advancements in education. To add to this initiative, I quote John Dewey “If we teach today’s students just like we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow”.

6. Technology-Aided Learning:Technology is one of the tools that can help us to improve our education system as well as the learning curves of the students. Besides, teachers can make use of it to make the teaching-learning process more effec-tive and result-oriented. It can help the teachers and students in resource-sharing, timely updation, in-depth information, inter-personal interaction, joining online tutorials etc. Technology-Aided Learning, instead of being optional, has become a need and necessity nowadays.

7. Content development:It is highly dis-appointing to see that there has been no work in this area till now. In this context, our department should take a lead at the earliest so that the stu-dents are benefitted and appropriate as well as helpful content can be circulated throughout the state. This content would include e-content as well. Sharing of this content will achieve better results as a result of availability of diversified material.

8. Activity-based learning: We have come

across some schools which have adopted such teaching-learning methodologies recently. To name one of the model schools, The College School Bun-glowbagh, Baramulla (formerly Jabri School) has been taking lead in this context. Teachers need to put in place teacher-facilitated exercises and activ-ities

9. Revisiting the Student-Teacher Ratio Scheme:For last one year in the department I have been wondering for it is beyond logic and under-standing how allotment of teachers is done at dif-ferent levels in the department. A high school is allotted 10 teachers irrespective of the fact wheth-er the school is running from class 9th to 10th or from 8th to 10th or from KG to 10th. Moreover, the enrolment in the school is also kept at bay while distributing the teachers among different schools. This area has been mishandled by the department till now in so many cases.

10. Optimum use of resources:While it comes to utilization of resources I would like to quote an example of a school which was highlighted by some leading newspapers way back in 2015. The comput-ers were procured by the school but remained un-used and sealed in store. Whatever little infrastruc-ture and resources we have is not being utilized properly. Structures are being constructed without any proper planning and at times with poor plan-ning.

11. Appreciation and recognition for good teachers:Whether its students in the classrooms or teachers, encouragement and appreciation to their good work always keeps them motivated towards excelling further. Our department has not been able to adopt such a schema wherein good teachers and their works would be appreciated which would act as reinforcement for them.

12. Indifference of the officials and the de-partment towards the rights of the teachers:Not to quote someone else, I have myself been a victim of such indifference from my department as well as the officials. On one side, to get one document signed it takes months altogether and on the other side the teachers, which includes me also, are not paid their salaries for more than 11 months. Irre-spective of the fact whether a teacher is in need of money or not, it should be prime concern of the department and its officials to reach to their teach-ers. These official indifferences keep the teachers demotivated and in one way or the other the per-formance of these teachers is affected at some point of time.Being a staunch supporter of educational reforma-tions, I have always dreamt of developing a con-cept prior to upgrading the infrastructure and the system. I have dreamt of a day when our children would dream and their dreams would come true. But those dreams won’t come true unless and until we wake up.Of late, a positive change in regime and its stance towards education, there has been a silver lining in the cloud but it is yet to be seen if this ship of edu-cation would be able to reach the shores of success.

Overhauling Education

ShahNagri is a small village that lies on the borders of Handwara town. Few kilometers away from ‘Mawar’ a re-nowned place in Hand-wara, ShahNagri is a beautiful subtle village with approx 80 hous-es. This place is filled with elements of natu-ral beauty from snow-capped mountains to small streams, friendly people. Everything is perfect but unfortunate-ly this element of allure that this village possesses is lacking in the educa-tion system that by all means will hinder the progress and prosperity of this village because the development of any area needs educated man force. During my visit to ShahNagri, I saw the crumbling scenario of education sector which has unfortunately demeaned its beauty. Although this small village has been provided with one middle and two primary schools by the government but unfortunately these schools are in deteriorated condition. The Primary school of ShahNagri school consists of 2 rooms lacking all the key amenities. No basic infrastructure, no boundary walls, no chairs not even a mat that could be made available for the students to sit properly, dark rooms, no ventilation these rooms appears to be haunted with a roll of 35 students and 2 teachers. This school in itself portrayed the image of misery that the education department is facing in this small village. Locals claim that the classes are often held combined and a single teacher teaches four classes at a time. This was another shocking thing that I heard as how it was possible to conduct four classes in a single room by one teacher. This thing could be justified by no means; it was simply an act of putting the carrier of these students on stake. I tried to sot my queries about the school when I interacted with the owner of this school building Ghulam Mohammed Bhat. I came to know that he had given these rooms for rent in 2011 and since then what he has got is only a sum of 2000 rupees from the government. As per the inhabitants of this area the students are facing a lot of problems due to the present conditions prevailing in the school. The condition of another primary school was not better, it was rather worst than the first one. Two rooms constituted the school and these rooms were located on a cow shed! Yes you heard it right a cow shed that too was in the shoddy conditions with nothing present that is meant to be in government schools. One thing that I could notice there was the foul smell that came from the cow shed which made it impossible for me to stand there for the next few minutes. One could easily imagine what the students had to face while being enrolled in such school and the 2 teachers who are supposed to teach in these conditions. This cow shed cum school was made available to the people in 2009 with an agreement of giving the rent of Rs 200 per room.The next school was comparably better than the rest it had something that could define infrastructure. It was a middle school with good and somewhat

better ventilated buildings, Watching all this, I was so furious to know what the people had to say regarding all this. A local over there told that there are a lot of school drop outs because they feel ashamed to go to the school that has such a shabby infrastructure so hence they prefer to stay. Another person Mohammed Shafi Ganie said that they want their children to study but can’t afford to educate them in private schools hence due to financial circumstances they are compelled to send their wards in such schools which lack basic amenities. However the inhabitants of the village hailed the ef-forts of teachers and appreciated their work. They council our students, teach them well and often inject in them the importance of studies, they often give our children extra time and teach them whole heartedly. Abdul Majid Ganie, a local said that they had brought the condition of the schools under the concerned Z.E.O’s notice and had send various applications to him but he and his department paid no heed to their pleas and left the con-ditions of these schools as such which further added to the agony of this village resulting in high dropout rate and extremely low literacy percentage. Due to worsening education sector, this village has only twelve students who have qualified 12th standard and just 4 graduates.While after meeting the concerned ZEO, Manzoor Ahmad Khan said that nothing was brought in his notice. “I dint receive a single compliant from the people of ShahNagri and if I would have received any such notice I would have possibly took action to maintain the schools”, he added. However he assured me that by March 21 he will have a personal interven-tion of the village and will merge the two schools with Middle School.

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ADnAn DARshahnagri,handwara

“Despite huge spending, too many of our government schools fail to provide even a safe learning environment, let alone a good edu-cation to our children, which is a great challenge. While my government is serious in affecting meaningful education reforms, such reform are certainly not possible without the active support of teachers and parents. We are blessed to have a pool of best teachers, who lacked a working environment so far. I assure my teachers to provide them the best working environment. We have made a small beginning but we have a long way to go.Dear teachers, I believe in you. Have hope. Be determined. Don’t give up. I also appeal the parents to play their role in holding teach-ers and the schools accountable and help us in driving to improvement and quality.” Naeem akhtar, miNister for educatioN.

fAizAn WAni Trikanjan, uRi

In 2011, Government Primary School was established in Gubdar, Trikanjan under SSA(Sarwa Shiksha Abhiyan) scheme to provide free and compulsory education to children of this village, which is almost 8 km’s away from tehsil Boniyar. Gubdar is a small hamlet in the lap of Pir Panjal range with some 150 households. The children of this area are still waiting for a school building which is till date incomplete due to callous approach of authorities. It was year 2011, when Government primary school was estab-lished by SSA to provide free and elementary education to poor students of village, years have been passed but the school building is yet to be completed. Due to negligence of authorities children suffer heavily in terms of basic education. From last many years this school has been shifted from one residential house to another. Lacking good classrooms, students study in a single rented room which is without basic facilities like toilet, water, electricity etc. The people of village allege the mismanagement of scheme and negligence of contractor.“According to Government orders the contractor must complete SSA building within six months but unfortunately the building is still under process which directly has an impact on future of chil-dren here.“Nobody cares about the studies of our young ones. The school building under SSA scheme isn’t complete yet. Neither the con-tractor not the authorities take it seriously. Due to personal bene-fits, they are keen to ruin the career of our wards. We appeal Chief Education Officer Baramulla and other higher authorities to look this matter keenly,” said Abdul Rashid, a local. Pertinently the school building has been occupied by local con-tractor, who has his own demands. “In 2013, I provided my land to department for my own benefit, they deceived me. Neither they provided me the required funds nor the salary of my wife who was serving as cook in school, now when I demand the release of my funds according to 2013 approval, they refuse. So how can I handover the building to them,” said contractor Kalander Khan,he also alleges that his wife was terminated as cook and his three years rent is pending to education department.Refuting the statement ZEO, Boniyar Mohammad Sharif said that the contractor signed agreement according to 2004 approval. Now how can we release funds according to 2013 approval? We have di-rected the contractor to complete school building till March 16, if he failed to hand over the building we will take strict action against the said contractor,” said ZEO, Boniyar Mohammad Sharif. He also denied the termination of cook.After three years of long wait the school children still wait for com-pletion of school building and end to this imbroglio. “We face so many problems due to lack of building, we don’t have enough space to read in. A single rented classroom is our school and that also in this modern world. We don’t have a washroom even. We appeal to the responsible authorities to look into this matter as soon as possible,” said Sumaya, a student of this school. “It’s injustice with students; they face a lot of problems. It is very tough to teach all students in a single rented room, sometimes we accommodate students outside room also,” said head teacher, So-nia Rafiq.

sAJAD gulhajin

Despite all the efforts by department of education to streamline the educa-tion sector, several schools in the valley are lacking basic amenities. Same is the case with a government primary school at Hajin. Established in 2005, Government Primary School Sonshah Mohallah Shahgund Zone Hajin, still lacks a proper building. Leave aside facilities; this school has only two Reh-bar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers for six classes. Residents of this village argue that this school isn’t really in such a condition to be called as a school as it lacks all basic amenities. Teachers also claim that it is very difficult to teach students in such an environment. “The authorities have continuously being appealing to the teachers of Jammu and Kashmir to teach students keenly. They expect desired results from this school, when there are only 2 teachers for 6 classes. This is a kind of joke with education and students,” the locals said. With a moderate roll of 110 students, this school has been lying in ruins since its beginning. There is no peon employed in the school thereby making the environs unhygienic. Students claim that these two teachers remain mostly out of station and at times classes remain off due to their non availability as they are given addi-tional duties. “These two teachers get engaged with census, elections, ration cards and oth-er additional duties thereby directly having an impact our education. It is we students who suffer. Besides we have no water supply here. Since its establish-ment the school has been without electricity, playground and a washroom,” said Saima, a 5th standard girl student of the school.According to locals, the school has not received maintenance grants for last many years. This school has no toilet, no electricity facilities, dogs are roam-ing freely in the lawns of the school. Even the school has been without library. The one story building of just 6 rooms and 2 teachers at times has to adjust four other classes continuously in the open sky. “We have conveyed the issue to higher authorities many times, but nothing is being done. The school 30 of the 110 students was absent due to lack of facili-ties. Even the school is without windows and a proper roof,” said the teachers.The teachers also claim that they had not been receiving salary since from past 5 months and even the mid day meals bills are still not released. Meanwhile, GHS Shahgund also awaits up-gradation. People accuse the edu-cation department of delaying the up gradation of the government.

GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS A PLACEOF NEGLECT?

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“Despite huge spending, too many of our government schools fail to provide even a safe learning environment, let alone a good edu-cation to our children, which is a great challenge. While my government is serious in affecting meaningful education reforms, such reform are certainly not possible without the active support of teachers and parents. We are blessed to have a pool of best teachers, who lacked a working environment so far. I assure my teachers to provide them the best working environment. We have made a small beginning but we have a long way to go.Dear teachers, I believe in you. Have hope. Be determined. Don’t give up. I also appeal the parents to play their role in holding teach-ers and the schools accountable and help us in driving to improvement and quality.” Naeem akhtar, miNister for educatioN.

Elementary level education is being ignored which directly has an impact on the school children. What is education department doing to improve at elementa-ry level both in terms of infrastructure and quality?

Elementary level education is priority of department. We worked on certain points in order to improve at elementary level. We integrated primary level with secondary and senior secondary level and started a scheme called cluster knowledge scheme where we appointed principals of these higher second-ary schools as nodal principles, to supervise and do academic monitoring of these schools. It has brought a kind of integration between these levels and now a principal is in-charge for 30-40 schools. After that we focused on minimum learning levels. We notified NCERT base learning levels for children. Unless these learning levels are improved it makes no sense going after the syllabus. We also thought to have a base line correction, to give basic competency to children: competency of writing, compe-tency of reading the text, competency of doing the basic arith-metic, competence of knowing basic concepts of science. Also we held subject specific trainings and this helped us in clearing the concepts at elementary levels and made teachers more com-fortable with syllabus. Since this year is year of expressions, so our focus is on English speaking and communication at elemen-tary level.

We have 5 classes, two teachers, one classroom type scenario these days, which affects quality education. What is department doing in this regard?

Huge investment is going on both at the district levels and state level. RMSA and SSA are giving a lot of money for infrastruc-ture. But rather than spending on new buildings, our focus is on consolidation of infrastructure. We want to consolidate; we want to co-locate schools rather than opening of new schools in new buildings. What is already available can be utilized for more effective teaching learning.

There are several central sponsored schemes like RMSA, SSA but in large cases these funds get lapsed just because many schools are run from rented building. Have you taken up this issue to change the guidelines in case of state of Jammu and Kashmir?

SSA and RMSA money doesn’t lapse. It is not lapsable mon-ey actually. The school constructions rather get stuck because of contractor issues. Contractors take money from us and they

are unable to complete the buildings on time and the cost gets escalated and we don’t have more funds to fix it and the build-ing gets stuck there. But at district level various Deputy Com-missioners are trying to settle down these abandoned buildings and department is also infusing more money to complete these halted buildings.

Perhaps with the noble intention, the DSEK had authorized cluster heads and ZEO’s to manage transfer of teachers in a bid to prevent corruption but it seems it has gone hay where. There are allegations of corruption and influence at higher levels.

We conducted transfer melas, so as teachers give choices of their transfers. But what happened most of the teachers wanted to stay in their homes, so everybody wanted to stay in a town. Re-garding corruption, there must be complaints but if somebody approaches me, I assure you my department will take action. Moreover, teacher community is a community which enforces morality in a society and if teacher starts giving bribes and get their things done, I think then rather than being an administra-tive issue, it is an ethical issue.

There have been instances where the books contain outdated, plagiarized and poorly translated content. Quality of content is poor. Have you tried to fix these problems?

Yes, I completely agree with you regarding the quality of content provided in text books. I have serious reservations regarding that content. My team has also flagged those reservations, with

‘What is already available can be utilized for more effective teaching-learning’Director School Education Kashmir, Dr. SHAH FAESAL talks about School Education, Schemes, Innovations and

various other issues in education department in conversation with Excecutive Editor of The Varmul Post NOOR UL HAQ.

ADnAn DARhajibal, baramulla

The high claims made by the education department regarding improving the literacy rate of women get trashed at Hajibal. A remote village of Baramulla district, Hajibal is 14 kilometers away from the main town. Here the girls study only up to 8th standard or are compelled to study only up to 8th standard. At a time where education is considered to be a compulsory, these girls are surely lagging behind in every aspect. There are many elements that contribute towards the decline of education in Hajibal; one of them is the geographical location of this place as this village is situated atop a hill, so it is cumbersome to reach there or to reach other places from there. This in itself a hin-drance for people of the area particularly students and specifi-cally girls to travel to other places for seeking education as there is always a chance to meet wild animals and often no one walks on these roads. So girl students in no case feels safe to travel to adjacent places and hence prefer to stay at home leaving educa-tion in the middle. Another thing is the lack of transport services. The overcharg-ing of fare by the local Sumo drivers as the people of Hajibal are mostly engaged in agricultural work for their means of income and can only make 100 rupees a day. They cannot effort to give their children a large sum of money to travel to and from the market to the village, hence this also adds to the misery of the students there as they can’t effort such huge rates they have to pay for traveling. “The Sumo drivers charge us Rs 20 up to Baramulla but when

we book the sumo from Baramulla to Hajibal, they charge us Rs 50. We are unable to afford such a huge amount because major-ity of us are attached to agriculture. We can’t send our children for higher studies as it needs huge money,” said Adbul Rasheed Dar, a resident of Hajibal.The other thing is dearth of education institutions. The above conditions could not have altered the smooth functioning of the education in Hajibal had the administration provided it with schools of secondary or higher secondary levels but unfortu-nately the administration has completely failed in doing so. In this hilly village consisting of some 150 households, there are only 2 schools up to middle standard from where most of the students especially girls stop coming down to Baramulla for higher studies.Farooq Ahmad Dar, who is a laborer now, left studies three years back just after passing his 8th standard and claims that it is very much difficult for them to move from this place for studies.“I left my education just after passing 8th standard. My family couldn’t afford my education so I dropped out. How can any-one afford Rs 70 per day for travelling mere 10-12 kilometers? At least, we can’t! Because our resources are limited,” Farooq added. According to the teachers right now there are almost one hun-dred twenty students studying at these two middle schools and it is a worrisome state that after few years a huge number among them will not turn at some high schools in nearby town. Locals of this village assert that despite being the native village of Shahnawaz Bukhari, Additional Private Secretary with Min-ister for Education, Naeem Akhtar, the village still lacks a high school not to talk of higher secondary. The locals appealed Ed-ucation Minister to look into the matter so that youth of this village will not remain illiterate due to a minor step willingly or unwillingly not taken by the government.

VILLAGE WHERE GIRLS AREN’T GIVEN A CHANCE TO STUDY

the board office also. Insha’Allah, we may also revise the texts books particularly at the primary level in coming days.

Corruption is mid day meals! Are there any guidelines? There are ample examples where students are not provided meals as per fixed menu.

Mid day meals itself lends to a lot of manipulation and corrup-tion but good thing is that we are now shifting to Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) based monitoring very soon in the state, so every head teacher or school teacher will get a call and they will have to punch the number of people who took the mid day meal. The call will simultaneously go to the panchayat member also, he will also punch. So there will be cross verifica-tion and then it will go to central database. It will be on internet. People can also see what is happening and is it happening trans-parently, that will bring a lot of transparency.

There are complaints that some teachers are studying or working in foreign countries and yet they are on rolls and marked as present in schools and regularly get salaries.

I don’t think so. There is a lot of perception about education department which aren’t actually happening but people imagine they are happening. But if you can provide us with details about such teachers I will definitely take action. If somebody is taking salary form our side and working outside, I assure you, if not anything, termination of that teacher.

Now you have been Director School Education for almost six months, so what is your assessment? Is it a case of hope or despair?

There is a lot of hope that things can be improved. At times, I feel disappointed but I am hopeful that things will be good.

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Adopted and developed the abacus computational method from China and Taiwan, Mr. Loh Mun Sung founded ALOHA in 1993, having the objective of introducing the arithmetic programs to, likewise benefiting, the children of Malaysia ages 4 to 14.In its more than 20 years of experience, ALOHA has expanded to 5,500 centres worldwide, only proving its effective program, along this line, making ALOHA the leading developmental program for children’s mental arithmetic learning.ALOHA Mental Arithmetic uses the abacus as the only element in teaching the “basic concept” in mental calculation. Training the child with this ancient method enhances their skill in mind computing.Advised by a panel of experts in various fields in mathematics, ALOHA has a qualified academic board with renowned professors and teachers who are trained to provide quality education that is fun and accurate.The human brain is a complex organ that allows us to think, move, feel, see, hear, taste, and smell. It controls our body, receives information, analyzes it, and stores it (our memories).The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body temporal and spatial relationships analyzing non-verbal information, communicating emotion. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Produce and understand language.The ALOHA mental arithmetic approach assists in the whole brain development and inculcates foundational building blocks like problem solving, memory, concentration, and creativity – essential skills that invigorate greater confidence and success in all academic aspects and in life. Stimulating analytical and creative abilities contributes positively the development of both brain hemispheres (right and left). Children improve their capacity of learning, memory, concentration and observation.Your child will learn new ways of cultivating creativity, multitasking and time management skills. Boosts brainpower and improve your child’s math grades and overall academic performance. The program equips them with the skills they need to improve overall academic achievement and to confidently meet life’s challenges and achieve greatness.

ALOHA INDIAAloha India is the Indian subsidiary of Aloha International, Malaysia, a Global Leader in advanced Abacus and Mental Arithmetic programs specially designed for children in the 4-14 year age group. ALOHA International is the world’s largest Abacus training company. It has trained more than 5 million students in the last 23 years of existence.Over the past few years, ALOHA International has received, an affiliate of MAMAA (Malaysian Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association), a premier institution recognized the world over and its affiliate of Zhejiang Abacus Association, a distinguished agency for computing techniques headquartered in Hong-shou, China.ALOHA International is a reputed internally accredited educational institution with 5500 centres spread across 37 Countries with 5 Million students. Essentially, the Aloha Programs are nothing but Scientific Brain Management Techniques that unveil the infinite potential of the human brain and its effective use. Aloha India has evolved into an ISO 9001:2000 Company, the first ever Indian company in the field of Abacus Education to have won this distinction.Today, as a vibrant organization, ALOHA India stands for a mission committed to creating a new generation mentally equipped for challenges in a competitive environment. Steered by a leadership with vision, ALOHA India has set new benchmarks for the industry and is increasingly becoming popular across India by its faculties of over 5,00,000 students, 1500 centres across 26 states in India.

ALOHA J&KALOHA has been established in J&K in year 2006 and has been

continuously flourishing across the valley having a present network of more than 40 Aloha Learning centres functioning in both rural and urban areas. Aloha mental arithmetic course is divided into 8 levels each level lasts for three months during which a child has to attend 12 classes (4 classes in a month). Classes are conducted only on weekends without interfering in academic time table of their

respective schools.Not only do we confine the students to weekly close door classes but also arrange an annual state level competition (SLC) wherein our young aloha students are examined and evaluated for their competing abilities and excellence. The event is generally conducted in some premier educational institution like Kashmir University and the occasion wears a festive look.

Thousands of students have undergone Mental Arithmetic, Tiny Tots Speed Maths & Handwriting training at our ALOHA Learning Centres spread across the state and have shown remarkable performances in state, National and in International level competitions. Aloha courses have shaped academic excellence of our students so much so that there have been 3 consecutive toppers in matriculation examination and again a topper in class 12 examination of Kashmir division in recent years. The matric toppers are Iqra Basher Makhdoomi from Sopore (2012), Kausar Jan from Bemina Srinagar (2013) and Anika Shabir from Awantipora Pulwama (2014). And from 12th class the topper is Misbah Kounain from Sopore (2014). Again there are a good number of instances where our aloha students by dint of their sharp concentration and excellent performance very easily found place in medical and engineering selection lists. Students, their parents and teachers unequivocally have expressed faith in aloha courses after seeing the performance of aloha students.

ALOHA LIFETIME BENEFITS• Solvingmathematicaloperationswithspeedandaccuracy• Abilitytoconcentrateandpayattention• Creativityandvisualizationcapacity• Listeningandobservationalskills• Photographicmemoryandspatialorientation• Self-confidence• Analyticalskills

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ALOHA General Ability Test (GAT)

ALOHA GAT (General Ability Test) a comprehensive and quantitative standardized tool, not only diagnostic and analytical but more accurately the learning, growing, channelizing and an overall grooming environment for the young learners of 5th to 10th standard was initiated in 2009. The platform is open for all. Whether our internal institutional (ALOHA) students or outside (Non ALOHA)students, where they follow their curiosity. An opportunity for the brilliant wards of our fertile soil with academically sharp minds, where they would exhibit and prove their worth. This annual competitive test series is based in the pattern of civil services examination, comprising of three stages, Prelims, Mains and Personality test. Alhamdulillah, we move on with complete devotion and great zeal and vehemence with our clear objectives:1. To introduce conceptual (alternative lateral) thinking.2. To lay stress on application of knowledge rather than knowledge perse.3. To give exposure to various types of intelligence, aptitude tests the career competitive examinations like IAS, KAS, CAT, MAT, AIEEE, JKCET etc.4. To focus on reasoning, thinking and interpretation of data.

Abacus Learning Of Higher Arithmetic

RAyEEs gAnAiEbaramulla

“Few years back, I saw a visually impaired man struggling to cross the road at Batmaloo Srinagar. I stopped the car and helped him to cross the road. But when I headed back to my car, traffic police charged me for the violation of traffic rules but this incident changed my mind and there I decided to dedicate my life for the benefit of such people. This school for physically disabled students is part of that mission,” says Haji Muhammad Yousuf Khan, the patron of ‘School for Blind, Deaf and Dumb’.Mohammad Yousuf carried out an extensive survey from 2008 to 2012, in which he identified 357 ‘blind’ people in the age group of 20 to 40 years and 35 kids in the age group of 07 to 14 years and registered them with social welfare Department so that they can avail the centrally sponsored schemes. Meanwhile during all this process for he opened a school for these physically impaired 35 kids. School for Blind, Deaf and Dumb’ was established in March 2012 at Dewanbagh,

Baramulla with an initiative to “Enlighten the Lightless”. The school was founded for children coming from down trodden families, who are visually impaired and who are denied a childhood and the opportunity to live a normal life. The institute is imparting education in Braille system and has brought a new hope of life for these kids. The school is affiliated with ‘Northern Federation of Blind Kashmir’.“Children from distant places and villages are now joining this institute where they are welcomed with vast hearts and no one has ever been disappointed. The main objective of this federation is to provide them the opportunity of living a normal life. The main aim of this school is to focus on comprehensive education system. The purpose of comprehensive education is to ensure that all these students gain access to knowledge, skills and information that will prepare them to contribute towards society like normal citizens,” said Haji Muhammad Yousuf Khan. This institute is now serving as blind cum deaf and dumb school for all the disabled

children. The first ever blind school in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district with focus on proper education even after its 5 years of completion is still school without basic facilities, due to non cooperation of Government and local authorities. According to the teachers who are trained in Braille system of education, the students are taught in order to empower and make them able to stand on their own feet. Here the teachers provide them education through Braille slates, stylus, math boards, types, pocket frames, needle guiders, folding canes. They have enormous ways to teach students and make them able to build their future. They also use sign language for deaf and dumb students to teach. The said institution is working from last five years; it is a unique school in the valley to teach the blind boys/girls in Braille system. Complete boarding facility with hostel has been arranged for the said boys/girls admitted in the school. “These students are smart and active. They are intelligent but education is the medium through which we can empower them. It’s not that education which we observe usually in common schools as due to lack of communication or atmosphere they can’t survive in common schools. They need a separate environment, a particular education system which could satisfy them. Most of the students here are drop outs because they are unable to understand that medium. Unfortunately Government is doing nothing to empower them at least there must be a Government recognized school in every zone to cater such students,” said Muzamil Maqbool, Principal of this institute. Meanwhile the school authorities claim that the school is run by local funds and charity which serves almost 35 students who come here from distant places to learn.

Picture By: Eeshan Peer

piERCing ThRoughDARKnEss

by: muzAmil bAshiR

Respected Teachers,

Accept my heartfelt condolenc-es for bringing shame and disgrace to the tag of “Builders of Nation” that is associ-ated with your noble profession. I also of-fer my condolences to the state education department, the pillars of which are based on teachers like you. Condolences will continue and will not end but I will end by offering my condolences to the future of nation (the children studying in govern-ment schools). You were just asked to sit in a simple screening test by the government. This was the welcome step for all includ-ing the teaching community. The initia-tive was not meant to degrade the image of teachers, but to remove the deadwood from the system. If you would sit in the test and clear it, your credibility and worth will be bloomed. You offered stiff resis-tance to the initiative. You refused to prove your mettle. Even before you appeared in the screening test, you started showing the bad side of your credibility. You protest-ed. You raised hue and cry on roads. You preferred to get humiliated by the police rather than appearing in the simple test. It gave the feeling that without appearing in the test, you are proving yourselves that you are deadwood from the base to top. You tormented your image yourselves. You gave invalid and irrelevant excuses to justi-fy your protests and to run away from this test. You completely changed the concept of civilized teaching community.Let me share some of the facts about the government’s decision and stand of teach-ers on it. I also want to regenerate the excuses and apprehensions of your com-munity as reflected in the media circles especially social media and in the public sphere debates.

1) The order to screen the teachers came in the backdrop of high court order in which the Hon’ble court directed the state education department to check the credibility of teachers again after the RET teacher failed in the basic exam. So, pro-tests and excuses are totally and complete-ly invalid.

2) The whole teaching community

started a strong wave of rebellion against the then Education minister. Your first excuse is that you want that education minister should himself first sit in an exam to qualify for being the education minister. Some teachers called him illiter-ate. And some members from your com-munity wanted him to first again qualify KAS exam. Some of the members of your teaching community even don’t know he is an ex-IAS officer. Leave aside IAS offi-cer that doesn’t matter, but you are giving these invalid reasons to divert the atten-tion of common masses from the genuine issue. You are mixing and messing teach-ing profession with politics. You are hiding yourselves in the blanket of futile excuses. Let me tell you that it doesn’t matter poli-ticians are illiterate or highly qualified, the government is run through bureaucrats not by ministers. Moreover, politicians also undergo through tests in the form of elections. If you bring to wish revolution, contribute in bringing the academic and teaching revolution not the negative one. If you have apprehensions, still there are civilized means to protest. I am not advo-cating anyone; I am simply presenting the facts.

3) You always raise hue and cry for the lack of physical and material infra-structure in government schools. But you are not ready to prove that the basic, the crucial academic infrastructure and the teaching infrastructure is up to the mark. You are not focusing on your teaching methodology. You are not trying to bring a paradigm shift from the gossiping cul-ture to serious academic and competitive environment. The female teachers are seen knitting clothes and discussing “Ghar Ghar ki kahani” and draw huge salaries. If your abilities and teaching is up to the mark and in sync with the contemporary competitive era, why there are no sign of progress in the results of government schools? Why government schools show shattered and miserable results? Why you prefer to admit your own children in private schools? Do you doubt your own teaching? If all teach-ers are armed with impressive and pile of degrees, why you are not able to produce the results? That raises the doubt in the minds of every person in a society?

4) You are projecting this initiative as the source to disgrace the teaching com-

munity. Don’t you get disgraced and de-graded when you come on roads for pay commissions, pending salaries, DA, TA etc? Don’t you get disgraced when you pro-test and police chases you and beat you? Don’t you get disgraced when you refused to sit in a screening test? Don’t you get dis-graced when every member of the society want you to prove your mettle and you still refuse to do? Don’t you get disgraced when you still feel you will be disgraced by prov-ing your worth? Don’t you feel degraded when you block the schools for days for demanding salaries and wasting precious time of students who mostly come from poor backgrounds?

5) You want first doctors, engi-neers, officers and politicians to appear in screening test, then you will also appear in the test. Are you not the “Builders of Na-tion”? Doctors, journalists, engineers, bu-reaucrats and people from all profession are produced from schools and teachers are the grass root level mentors of all. If there will be defect in grass root level, if there will be lacunae in the basic educa-tion system. The defect will be reflected in all professions. Your profession should be an example for all the professions. You should be a role model for all. Everyone is nurtured in school; no one can climb the ladder of success without being in school level. Teachers leave a deep mark on the life of everyone and help to mould the personality in a better way. If teachers will themselves behave like this, how will be the students that will be produced from these schools? I am not only blaming the teachers for the mess in the system. Everyone is equally responsible. But teachers can become the torch bearers for the change and serve as role model for all by accepting the chal-lenge wholeheartedly.The words are unending, but I will end it with the hope that our Hon’ble teachers will again think deeply keeping all the ap-prehensions and excuses aside and coop-erate to remove the deadwood from the rotten system in the interest of all sections of the society. I hope that you will be ready to prove your worth when and wherever asked. I hope you will help to bring posi-tive change in the tormented and degraded education system and struggle to build a competitive teaching environment.

AN OPEN LETTER TO TEACHERS