Srinagar, Mar 24: Government has announced that the School Education Department currently has no immediate plans to upgrade schools in Jammu and Kashmir.
This decision comes after a significant number of schools have already been upgraded, while many others still require improvements in human resources and capital infrastructure.
At present, the department is concentrating on enhancing the existing human and capital infrastructure within current schools.
In response to a question posed by MLA Showkat Hussain Ganie during the Assembly session, the minister responsible for school education acknowledged that the department has received numerous requests from the public and elected representatives , including those from Shopian District, for the upgrading of schools to higher levels. These requests have been forwarded to the relevant Chief Education Officers (CEOs) for the preparation of feasibility reports.
Specifically, for the proposed upgrades of High Schools in Wachi, Chitragam, Trenz, DK Pora, Heff, and Aglar, a feasibility report will be requested from the CEO of Shopian.
The minister clarified that for a High School to be elevated to Higher Secondary status, it must be located at least 7 kilometers away from the nearest institution and have a minimum enrollment of 35 students in the highest class. The School Education Department will consider upgrading schools as needed, contingent upon meeting requirements, feasibility assessments, and the availability of necessary resources for staffing and infrastructure development.