Suhail Rather

Bandipora, Jan 17(KNS): While Kashmir celebrates outstanding performances and perfect scores in the recently declared Class 10 and 12 board examinations, a disturbing picture has emerged from the remote Gurez valley, where government schools continue to struggle with poor infrastructure and acute staff shortages.

Government Higher Secondary School (HSS) Purana Tualail Gurez recorded a zero pass percentage in the Science stream of Class 12, highlighting the widening educational divide between urban centres and far-flung regions.

Official data accessed by Kashmir News Service reveals that out of around 14 science students, not a single student was able to clear all subjects. Overall performance at the school remained alarming. In Class 10, only 10 out of 22 students passed, while 12 failed. In Class 12, merely 13 out of 44 students cleared the examination, with 31 students failing, making it one of the poorest-performing institutions in the area.

Teachers attributed the dismal results largely to prolonged staff vacancies. The Principal of Govt HSS Purana Tualail Gurez told KNS that the post of Zoology lecturer remained vacant for several months, with the lecturer joining just two months before the exams. “This severely affected preparation. In the Science stream, most students failed in Physics,” the Principal said.

Students and parents echoed similar concerns. A local student stated that vacancies in core subjects across Gurez schools have become a routine occurrence, placing students at a severe disadvantage. “We compete with students who spend lakhs on coaching and have well-staffed schools. Here, we have neither teachers nor coaching. Dreams of becoming doctors or engineers are slowly dying,” he said, adding that children of poor labourers cannot afford expensive tuition or online coaching.

Parents expressed frustration over the situation.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“How can our children compete when there are no qualified science lecturers for months? We only hear about toppers on television, never about schools like ours,” said a parent of a PTL student. Another parent alleged that teachers posted in Gurez often manage postings elsewhere with government support, leaving local students to suffer.

In contrast, Higher Secondary School Baduab showed relatively better results. In Class 10, 11 out of 14 students passed, while in Class 12, 33 out of 38 students cleared the exam, reflecting how proper staffing directly impacts performance.

Local activists said the figures underline systemic neglect of education in remote areas. “The absence of teachers and academic support continues to cripple rural schools,” they said.

The Principal, however, expressed optimism, stating that authorities have now deployed local contractual lecturers for most subjects. “The staffing situation has improved this year. We hope the results will reflect that in the coming examinations,” he said.

Meanwhile, district-wide figures paint a more encouraging picture. According to data shared by Chief Education Officer Bandipora G.M. Pujoo, a total of 3,034 students appeared in Class 10, of whom 2,269 passed, registering an overall pass percentage of 79 per cent. In Class 12, 2,624 students appeared, with 2,114 qualifying, pushing the overall pass percentage to around 80 per cent.

Despite the overall improvement at the district level, the situation in schools like Govt HSS Purana Tualail Gurez serves as a stark reminder that educational success remains uneven, particularly in remote and underserved regions.(KNS).