Admin apathy victimizes sandwiched schoolchildren!

 From the Directorate of School Education Kashmir(DSEK) to the divisional and the district administrations, no official looks bothered to come to the rescue of children whose mental health is deteriorating allegedly due to the callous approach of the official machinery.
While DSEK remained reluctant to offer mass promotion to schools in the worst-hit Srinagar after floods saying that  exams would be held in March 2015,  for the past over two months the coaching centers are running classes for the new session thereby burdening the students with load of two classes concurrently.

‘DSEK FAILURE’
On October 26, 2014 the Coordination Committee of Private Schools Association (CCPSA) announced they will grant mass promotion to all students up to class 7th and urged the state government to make the March academic session a regular feature of academic calendar.
“After floods there is anxiety and dilemma among students about their future. They are confused whether they should read text books of next class or same syllabus which they have almost completed,” Central Coordinator, CCPSA, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad had said adding  “On the insistence of parents and after thorough deliberation with stakeholders and civil society, the coordination committee of private schools decided to give mass promotion to students from Nursery to 7th Class based on their previous performance/term-end achievements to classify under-average, average and above-average students.”
Though the DSEK instantly trashed the CCPSA announcement terming it “unlawful”, the department failed to keep check on start of new session by coaching centers. Even though the tuition centers through advertisements in print and electronic media publicly announced the start of new classes, the Director Education Tariq Ali Mir says nobody brought the matter into his notice. “We made some inspections but couldn’t find the coaching centers at fault,” said a senior official in the DSEK asking not to be named.
He however said: “If Divisional or District Administration would have taken a step forward with regard to mass promotion, DSEK  would have seconded it.” “Under such unusual situations like the September floods, the divisional administration or the district administration should have taken a step forward,” he said throwing the ball into their court.

ADMIN PLEAS
Official sources pleaded that Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Rohit Kansal “didn’t take any initiative because of a cabinet order which said exams be held in March 2015.” “Cabinet decision cannot be overruled by anyone,” sources in know of the matter said.
They said the only way out of the problem was formation of new government pending since December 23. “If new government comes to existence, the matter can instantly be brought into its notice even in the very first cabinet meet,” said a senior official.
On the other hand even though the District Magistrate Farooq Ahmed Shah has often been streamlining school and coaching center affairs, he is understood to have the left the issue of mass promotion for DSEK to decide.

STORY TILL NOW
Forced to study in two classes simultaneously the  poor kids have been complaining of problem in sleeping, dry mouth and dizziness. Health experts who came across such cases said the anxiety in children –has worsened with new symptoms of “adjustment disorder”, which could prove disastrous for the kids.
Observers have been saying that mass promotion to all classes except for 10th and 12th, which are conducted by JK State Board of School Education, could have proved a blessing for the students of flood-hit Srinagar, where devastation due to floods tops the state list and officially is more than the aggregate of damage elsewhere.
Pleading their point they said as a part of the “continuous comprehensive” evaluation, the students had already appeared in three tests for the class, including their half yearly exam. “This way mass promotion was a natural way out of the crisis.” “Moreover unusual crisis needs unusual remedies,” said a legal expert.
Schoolchildren and their parents complained that the officials and the mainstream politicians have failed to come to their rescue.  “Though Babus and Netas are busy discussing elections and formation of new government, since floods nobody thought about us and the well being of our kids whose health is deteriorating with each passing day only because of being forced to study for two classes simultaneously,” the complainants said.
But then what does the Cabinet order say on mass promotion?