Baramulla, Aug 22: Headless Government Higher Secondary School Boniyar, which serves as an educational hub for 800 students, mostly from far-flung areas, some close to the Line of Control is grappling with a severe shortage of teaching staff in 6 key subjects.
The absence of faculty for subjects like Botany, Zoology, Physics, Economics, Urdu, and Mathematics has turned the school into a symbol of neglect, leaving students—many from remote areas—frustrated and struggling to keep up with their studies.
Surprisingly, the institute is operating without a principal while the drawing and disbursing powers of the institute have been assigned to the Principal of Government Higher Secondary School Fatehgarh.
“These 6 important subjects are the strength of a higher secondary level institute,” said Muhammad Ashraf, a resident of Boniyar. “If authorities can not provide faculty for these subjects then, let them shut the institute,” added Ashraf whose son is a class 12th student of the institute.
Despite hundreds of students being enrolled in the science stream, the students are left with little more than empty classrooms and unmet educational needs. For many, the promise of a higher education is fading into a distant hope. The situation is particularly dire for those students who travel long distances to attend classes, only to find that there are no teachers available for the subjects they have come to study.
Irshad Ahmad (name changed), a 12th-grade student, travels 8 kilometres each day to attend his Physics and Chemistry classes at the school. However, upon arrival, he often finds that only English classes are available, leaving his core subjects unattended. “It’s disheartening to make such an effort every day, only to sit through one or two classes that aren’t even part of my main subjects,” said Irshad.
Such is the sordid state of the institution that the authorities have to bring in a Mathematics teacher from a nearby high school, who is originally assigned to teach 9th and 10th-grade students. This teacher, lacking the specialised training required to teach higher-level Mathematics, is now responsible for covering the syllabus for both 11th and 12th grades. The arrangement highlights the school’s desperation and the extent of the academic crisis.
The lack of qualified teachers in crucial subjects has put the academic futures of these students at risk. With the school year progressing, the absence of instruction in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Economics could severely impact the students’ performance in board exams, which are crucial for their future education and career prospects.
For students hailing from remote and far-flung areas, the situation is even more disheartening. The hopes of receiving a quality education are slowly being extinguished by the lack of basic educational resources and support. Many parents, who have sent their children to Boniyar Higher Secondary School with the belief that it would provide them with better opportunities, are now frustrated with the state of the institution.
Following the dearth of faculty members, the students have now appealed to the LG administration for the immediate intervention and urged him to ensure that qualified faculty members are appointed at the institution to teach the essential subjects that are currently being neglected. Meanwhile, when contacted, the Chief Education Officer Baramulla, Shabir Ahmad said that he will soon visit the institution and ensure that the students don’t face such an issue.
“The dearth of faculty will be addressed soon. I am visiting the institution in a short time to address the issue of dearth of faculty members,” said CEO Baramulla.
