Suhail Rather
Bandipora, August 1: Despite the Centre’s push to integrate vocational education into the mainstream school curriculum under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, Girls Higher Secondary School Bandipora is facing allegations of denying access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) lab facilities for students pursuing Computer Science as a vocational subject.
According to repeated complaints from students and parents, the school’s Principal has allegedly restricted the use of the ICT lab—which is being widely utilized across Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory under the vocationalisation programme—even though no dedicated Samagra Shiksha lab exists in the school.
The scheme, implemented by the Ministry of Education under the umbrella of Samagra Shiksha, aims to provide vocational training alongside general academic education from Classes 6 to 12, equipping students with job-ready skills by the time they graduate.
NCERT has already drafted guidelines to expand the initiative to upper primary levels.
However, sources within the school allege that the Principal is discouraging both Vocational Education and the Kashmiri language, citing concerns about their impact on overall academic performance. “The Principal is more concerned about his own yearly increment and therefore wants students to focus on traditional subjects, avoiding the teaching of vocational subjects and the mother tongue, which are key components of NEP 2020,” a parent told Kashmir Convener over the phone.
Some teachers claim that the move appears to be a deliberate attempt to wind up these subjects, contrary to national and UT-level educational priorities.
The parents appeal Minister of Education Sakeena Itoo, Director Samagra Shiksha and Director Education to look into the matter and students are allowed to use the lab or a separate arrangement is made for them to perform practical work
Talking to Kashmir Convener, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Bandipora acknowledged the complaints and said, “The matter has come to our notice and will be looked into seriously. If there is any obstruction in the implementation of Samagra Shiksha components, necessary steps will be taken to resolve it.”
Vocational subjects like Computer Science are designed to expose students to real-world skills and improve their employment prospects.
Denying students access to infrastructure like ICT labs, especially when such labs are being utilized for similar purposes across the UT, raises serious concerns about policy implementation and equal access to education, locals said.
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