Anantnag, Oct 21 (KNS): Private schools in Jammu and Kashmir have raised concerns over repeated demands for institutional data and documents despite the information already being available on government portals, saying the practice adds to administrative work and affects academic activities.

The issues were raised by a delegation of the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK), Anantnag chapter, during a meeting with Director School Education Kashmir Naseer Ahmad Wani.

The delegation, led by district president Ishfaq Ahmad, urged the department to reduce repetitive paperwork and make greater use of information already uploaded by schools on the U-DISE portal.

The association said private schools were frequently required to submit the same records to different authorities, creating avoidable administrative difficulties.

It proposed that any additional verification of school records be carried out at the zonal level once every six months instead of repeatedly seeking documents from individual institutions.

The delegation also demanded that teachers working in private schools be given access to training programmes conducted through District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), Resource Centres and Cluster Resource Centres.

It said private school teachers should receive capacity-building opportunities similar to those available to government school teachers, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The association also sought training on the PARAKH dashboard and regular teacher development programmes based on the requirements of individual educational zones.

According to the delegation, these measures would help private institutions implement the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020 while improving classroom teaching.

The Director School Education Kashmir, according to the association, acknowledged the concerns and assured the delegation that measures to simplify outdated and cumbersome administrative procedures would be considered.

He also stressed that government and private schools shared responsibility for providing quality education to students.

The delegation included PSAJK state president Dr Baba Nazrul Islam, vice president (South) Dr Zulfiqar Ahmad, district general secretary Suhail Ahmad and other district and zonal representatives.

The association called for continued coordination between the Education Department and private schools to address administrative issues and improve teacher training opportunities. (KNS)