Bhadarwah: The residents of Pandku village and adjacent hamlets of Diggi Panchayat in Bhadarwah have demanded from the government to upgrade the only primary school in the area to high school level.
The elders of the area threatened to launch a protest movement if government didn’t accept their genuine demand of upgrading 45 year old primary school which is in dilapidated condition.
They said that despite Centrally Sponsored Sarv Shikhsha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Schemes in place since several years, which guarantees education at the doorsteps especially in villages and far off areas, their repeated requests to upgrade the only primary school of Pandku in these schemes has not bared any fruit and the government was yet to upgrade it to high school level even though qualifying all the criterion of SSA and RMSA.
” We exhausted all the resources we have to get our school upgraded, but perhaps being poor and having no political patronage became our disqualification. Our earlier generation and we have suffered a lot but we don’t want our future generations to go through the same agony and hardships to get their basic education,” said Bal Krishan of Pandku village who is pursuing is post graduate degree from Jammu University.
“I would have been better placed if we have a high school in our village. After primary, I had to walk for two hours to reach school at Bhalra and come back exhausted in the evening, thereby getting hardly any time to study at home,” said another student Pawan Kumar adding although I completed my PG but I find it very difficult to compete with others who had better basic education.
Villagers said that most of the residents of the area were poor and couldn’t afford to send their children especially daughters to other areas for getting education.
Many girl students in the area said goodbye to education after primary , they added. They complained against the stepmotherly attitude of the elected representatives with the area.
“When I was a student of Pandku school in 1975, it was called ‘Pathshala’ then it became a primary school. Now after four decades nothing has changed even conditions became from bad to worst as the school is almost in ruins. Our children come back home with their uniform covered with dust and mud as there is no desk or mat in the school,” said Bimla Devi (50) of Pandku village adding that the school is in rubbles and there are totally unhygienic conditions. Most of the time students are forced to bring firewood from the forest to cook mid-day meal.
“We have suffered alot and if Govt does not pay heed to our demand we will be with no other option but to launch a protest,” She added.
When contacted Chief Education Officer Doda Mohd Ashraf Rather said “In 2012, 49 schools in Distt Doda were upgraded but for the last four years no new school has been opened or upgraded. We keep on sending the parposal for upgradation including PS Pandku but we haven’t got the nod from Union HRD Ministry.”
“I will asked ZEO to inquire that why students are forced to bring firewood and strict action will be taken against the teachers if found guilty,” CEO added.