J&K revives singing of national anthem in schools

After a gap of 14 years, the Jammu and Kashmir government is reviving the old tradition of singing the national anthem during the morning assembly in government schools.

A senior official of the education ministry told PTI in Jammu that the practice, suspended due to militancy, is being revived in a phased manner in districts where there is less militancy, including in some places in the Kashmir valley.

The official said the government has also decided to establish four additional university campuses and 22 colleges to provide avenues for higher education to the youth.

Two campuses each of the Kashmir and Jammu universities would be in place soon. Work on the north campus of Kashmir University in Baramulla district has already been taken up while land for a south campus is being identified in Anantnag district.

Sites for campuses of Jammu University are also being finalised, he said adding the proposal for opening 22 more colleges in the state has been sent to the Centre with a request for a one-time non-recurring grant. The colleges at Ganderbal and Reasi have already become functional while post-graduation classes have been started in many of the colleges in the state.

Computerisation and computer education is also being introduced, the official said

Over 5,000 new primary schools and Education Guarantee Centres have been opened out of the 10,000 planned in a major step towards universalising education and reducing drop out of girls.

Moreover, 1000 primary schools have been upgraded to middle school level and 108 high schools have been upgraded to higher secondary level in just one year.

Teachers attached in cities and towns have been redeployed to make functional defunct schools in rural areas. Village education committees have been strengthened and supervisory and monitoring mechanism of schools entrusted to panchayats. Special squads have been constituted to check absenteeism of teachers