Despite putting in efforts by the state administration, the education sector continues to remain a casualty given the prolonged uncertainty in Valley. Over the past weeks the education department has claimed to open around 4000 educational institutions in Valley, however no student has reported to their schools so far, throwing a major challenge for the department to revive the academic culture in schools.“Though department has asked the teachers to report to their respective schools but no students has turned so far to the schools,” an official of education department told Kashmir News Observer (KNO) who is part of inspection team. “We conduct daily inspections of schools but we find no student in any institution,” he said, adding that only those teachers report to their schools who are posted in their adjacent areas. The schools are witnessing zero attendance at a time when it is preparing for holding annual exams of students from class 10th to 12th, to be conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE).“The department has asked students of secondary and senior secondary classed to submit their exam forms but exams can be only held if students report to schools,” the official told Kashmir News Observer (KNO) According to officials only 45 percent of syllabus has been completed in class 10th to 12th. “Recently, the department held a meeting with CEOs to take a feedback about completion of syllabus.
All the CEOs informed the meeting that more than 55 percent syllabus is incomplete which makes chances of holding exams bleak,” the official told KNO. Also, the department has been caught in a catch-22-situation for holding exams of lower classes (from primary to class 9th as the students have not completed their syllabus in schools.“If the decision to hold annual exam couldn’t materialize, then the department may go for evaluating students through continuous evaluation system. The concerned schools have held Term I exams and the second term marks will be awarded as per the performance of students in previous exams,” the official said.He also ruled out any chance of granting mass promotion to students in lower classes. “Granting mass promotion creates learning gaps in students which results in poor performance of students in BOSE exams,” the official told Kashmir News Observer (KNO). As per routine the Term II exams for lower and higher classes in schools commence from October month, however the students have not reported to their schools from past one month post the decision of Government of India to divide Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in union territory.“Education sector has been worst hit in this phase and the prevailing situation will cost the students their career. While preparation for holding exams have been started but nobody in department is certain about holding exams given the zero response of students to attend their schools,” the official said. (KNO)