HAJIN: A wave of concern is sweeping through parents in Zone Hajin of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district as allegations of negligence, poor teaching standards, and administrative apathy emerge against several government school teachers.
Parents and students alike claim that the state of education in many institutions has deteriorated to an alarming level, putting the academic future of hundreds of children at risk.
Despite being recruited as highly qualified professionals, a section of teachers in the zone is accused of showing little interest in actual classroom teaching. “My child is in the 3rd standard and still struggles to recite the English alphabet. What kind of education is this?” lamented an aggrieved parent. “Teachers don’t pay attention. We have raised complaints several times, but nothing changes.”
Parents allege that higher officials do visit schools occasionally, but these inspections often end in formality. “Once the school management serves them wazwan, they declare everything fine. They don’t check whether teachers are in classrooms or whether lessons are being taught. Cluster heads, HOIs, and the ZEO write glowing reports without verifying ground reality,” another parent alleged.
Students echo similar concerns, stating that their schools, classes remain suspended for days at a stretch. “Sometimes weeks pass without any proper teaching. We sit idle, no homework is given, and there’s no follow-up on our progress,” said a Class 5th student of one of the schools.
Sources told Kashmir Reader that several teachers spend duty hours in ZEO or CEO offices, attending trade union meetings or engaging in unofficial work, instead of teaching in their assigned schools. “It’s hard to understand why one should leave students unattended just to sit in an office meeting. Teachers are paid to teach, not to skip classes for personal or union-related work,” a source said.
However, not all is bleak. There are teachers in the zone who, parents acknowledge, are working with dedication—taking extra classes and ensuring that no academic time is wasted. “We respect and appreciate those who are committed to their work. But unfortunately, their efforts are overshadowed by the negligence of others,” said a parent.