The Government is contemplating to convert all Gujjar and Bakerwal Hostels into model residential schools so that tribal youth is facilitated with quality education to compete in present era of competition, stated Minister for Education, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari.The Minister, while chairing a meeting with the Education and Tribal Affairs Department, had a detailed deliberation on several issues regarding better infrastructure and education facilities to the students of Tribal Community in the state. “To begin with, six districts would be taken up in the first phase under which the Gujjar and Bakerwal hostels would be developed as model residential schools by providing adequate faculty and administration there”, the Minister asserted.The Minister assured that every possible help will be provided for promotion of education to the Gujjar and Bakerwal community.
Minister for Food, Civil Supply & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) and Tribal Affairs, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali was also present in the meeting.The meeting also took stock of the status of drop outs in these hostels and it was impressed upon the concerned for conducting survey in this regard to find out the reasons for rising number of drop out students.It was informed in the meeting that five Eklavya Model Residential schools are being developed at Anantnag, Kulgam, Rajouri, Kargil and Poonch districts for the students of ST community.Zulkar assured the meeting that the Tribal Affairs Department will provide adequate infrastructure to these schools while the education Department will provide faculty members and other administrative services to these institutions. The Minister also emphasized upon the need of providing scholarship to the Tribal students at the time of admissions in the schools, Colleges and Universities.Secretary Education, Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director Education Kashmir G N Itoo, Director Education Jammu Ravinder Singh, Director Tribal Affairs Mohammad Rafi Poswal, Special Secretary Tribal Affairs Mohammad Sharief, Secretary Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board, Gulzar Ahmad Khatan, and other senior officers of Education and Tribal Affairs Department were present in the meeting.