Srinagar, Aug 2 (JKNS): An RTI filed with the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has revealed alarming administrative lapses in Bandipora district, where 18 high schools are functioning without Headmasters and 21 higher secondary schools are without full-time Principals.
An RTI filed by the National Convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, Nasir Khuehami a copy of which lies with news agency JKNS, only three higher secondary schools out of 21 have in-charge Principals, while 17 are being run by ‘look-after’ Principals, burdened with additional responsibilities. Of these, only four institutions possess Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) powers, leaving the rest administratively handicapped.
The findings also expose a severe faculty shortage, with 163 lecturer posts lying vacant across the district, including 27 in Political Science, 19 in Urdu, 16 in Mathematics, 15 in Education, and 12 each in Physics and Economics, among others.
This leadership vacuum and lack of subject-specific teaching staff have crippled the academic environment, depriving thousands of students of quality education and jeopardizing their future prospects.
Reacting to the revelations, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said the district’s education sector is “on crutches,” urging Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene. “Schools cannot function without proper leadership, and students cannot thrive without teachers. The government must act swiftly before this crisis causes irreversible damage to Bandipora’s academic future,” Khuehami said. (JKNS)
