Srinagar: Ten months after it was tasked with formulating a policy for the school education system in Jammu and Kashmir, an official panel, comprising distinguished academics, has crossed the final deadline – August 31 – without even compiling the first draft.
This is despite the fact that the panel, also tasked with compiling School Education Vision Document-2025 and Language Policy for school curriculum, had observed serious flaws in the current education system. It had observed that a major overhaul of prevalent curriculum in schools was needed, and had also pitched for inclusion of Kashmir history in study programmes.
However, sources hold that the panel has failed to submit even the report draft of the report to the government for implementation of the recommendations.
Minister for School Education and government officials couldn’t be contacted for their comments because they had either switched off their mobile phones or didn’t respond to repeated telephone calls from this reporter.
One of major reasons for the failure of the committee to submit the report, sources said, is change in the government at the Centre and forthcoming Assembly elections in the state which will see change of guard in the state.
“Change in government at New Delhi has significantly affected the panel’s observations and the way it would actually submit the report,” an official said on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the issue. “The committee might be reformulated based on the directions of new government at the Centre.”
He added: “The scheduled Assembly elections have put the panel in dock because there are apprehensions that the panel’s recommendations might be rejected by the new state government.”
In November last year, on the recommendation of State School Education Advisory Board (SSEAB), the government accorded sanction to the panel, headed by Prof Farida Khan of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
In 2012, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had also recommended the J&K government to overhaul the existing academic set-up to make it practical-oriented.
In its various meetings, the panel had made significant observations with some of its members pitching for inclusion of Kashmir history in school curriculum. “The board of members is recommending an overall reformation of the system,” renowned academician and one of the key members of the panel, Prof A G Madhosh, had said.
“We are reviewing the entire system and documenting significant recommendations. The team is observing major loopholes which need to be plugged.”
The panel had also observed lack of infrastructure and minimal monitoring from higher authorities in state-run schools. Most of all, the panel had observed widespread corruption and lack of accountability at academic as well as administrative levels in the education system.
This is despite the fact that the panel, also tasked with compiling School Education Vision Document-2025 and Language Policy for school curriculum, had observed serious flaws in the current education system. It had observed that a major overhaul of prevalent curriculum in schools was needed, and had also pitched for inclusion of Kashmir history in study programmes.
However, sources hold that the panel has failed to submit even the report draft of the report to the government for implementation of the recommendations.
Minister for School Education and government officials couldn’t be contacted for their comments because they had either switched off their mobile phones or didn’t respond to repeated telephone calls from this reporter.
One of major reasons for the failure of the committee to submit the report, sources said, is change in the government at the Centre and forthcoming Assembly elections in the state which will see change of guard in the state.
“Change in government at New Delhi has significantly affected the panel’s observations and the way it would actually submit the report,” an official said on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the issue. “The committee might be reformulated based on the directions of new government at the Centre.”
He added: “The scheduled Assembly elections have put the panel in dock because there are apprehensions that the panel’s recommendations might be rejected by the new state government.”
In November last year, on the recommendation of State School Education Advisory Board (SSEAB), the government accorded sanction to the panel, headed by Prof Farida Khan of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
In 2012, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had also recommended the J&K government to overhaul the existing academic set-up to make it practical-oriented.
In its various meetings, the panel had made significant observations with some of its members pitching for inclusion of Kashmir history in school curriculum. “The board of members is recommending an overall reformation of the system,” renowned academician and one of the key members of the panel, Prof A G Madhosh, had said.
“We are reviewing the entire system and documenting significant recommendations. The team is observing major loopholes which need to be plugged.”
The panel had also observed lack of infrastructure and minimal monitoring from higher authorities in state-run schools. Most of all, the panel had observed widespread corruption and lack of accountability at academic as well as administrative levels in the education system.
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