ANANTNAG: Kammad Government High School, one of the oldest, has been left out of upgradation process by the government, which has dejected students, faculty and locals. The locals, teachers and students told Kashmir Reader that the school should have been the first to be considered for upgradation into Higher Secondary. “This institution was established as a primary school way back in 1924 and upgraded to a middle school in 60’s and then to a High School in 2005,” a resident, Muhammad Hussain told Kashmir Reader. He said that the school, catering to more than half a dozen villages, has always produced brilliant results.

The other residents, Kashmir Reader talked to, said that nearly forty doctors and 70 engineers in the area are pass-outs from this particular institution. “We think it was time that the school should have been upgraded and higher education made accessible to local children at their doorstep,” residents said. The teachers at the school say that they have been producing the best results. “Even last year, 15 of our students appeared in class 10 exam and all of them passed with good grades. A hundred per cent result should not have been ignored like this,” they said.

The students said that they will have to move out to Anantnag, four kilometres from here or Dialgam, around two kilometres from here, to attend the Higher Secondary. “It would have been a blessing if this school was upgraded. We could have saved so much of time and money in the crucial years of our career,” the students told Kashmir Reader. The residents added that the school has ample state land around it and it could have been developed into a model higher secondary by the government. “We appeal to the government to revisit their decision and upgrade the school,” the residents said. Director School Education, Younis Malik could not be reached for his comments.

Suhail A Shah