Umaisar Gull Ganie
Kulgam (Yaripora), Dec 04: In the harsh winter conditions, the students enrolled in a Government Primary School in Bebrada area of Yaripora belt in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, are attending their classes under open sky in absence of the proper building.
According to official sources, the school has an enrollment of 27 students and two teachers. Established in 1984, it initially functioned in a rented mud building. However, the structure was deemed unsafe and dismantled by its owners.
For the past two years, the school has been operating in the courtyard of a house, leaving students without basic amenities such as classrooms or washrooms.
Two years ago, the residents filed a grievance with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, which forced the Tehsildar to identify land for a new building.
While two visits were made to address the issue, the resistance from some locals stalled progress, and the grievance was closed without resolution.
Aysha Jan, a student, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), “We have been studying under the open sky for years. The government should build a proper school for us. We don’t even have toilet facilities. We hope we finally get a building with necessary facilities soon.”
Parents have also raised concerns about the lack of infrastructure. “Amid freezing temperatures, our children are studying outdoors. They don’t even have washrooms. This neglect puts their future at risk,” said Sayar Ahmad, a local parent.
Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Zonal Educational Officer (ZEO) Yaripora told KNO that they have already taken up the issue with higher authorities. He said a patch of land has been identified, but it is insufficient for constructing the school building.
He said that the local residents are not cooperating and urged them to support the department. “We also considered merging the school with another, but the distance to the nearest school is too far. Moreover, it is a primary school, and the students are very young,” the ZEO said, adding that hopefully the issue will be resolved soon—(KNO)
