The Soda Bottle Syndrome of JK's School Reforms

Education is the soul of any enlightened society. No society can truly thrive without significant advancements in its educational infrastructure. In Jammu and Kashmir, government schools have long been the backbone of education for children from economically weaker sections who cannot afford the high fees of private institutions. Imagine a student from a remote rural area, with no literate family members and limited resources—how would such a child ever dream of becoming a doctor or a teacher if government schools were taken out of the equation?

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I speak from experience. Coming from a village and growing up with financial hardships, I completed an M.Sc. in Biochemistry and pursued research before becoming a teacher. This journey would have been impossible without the foundational support of a government school. As someone who owes everything to the public education system, it pains me deeply to witness the decline in its quality.

Bringing government schools up to the standards of private institutions is not an impossible task. Every government teacher is aware of this potential. What's missing is a sustained push and collective effort from all stakeholders.

A Grim Picture Emerges

The situation in J&K is alarming. Government school numbers have plummeted from 23,874 in 2014-15 to 18,785 in 2023-24. Many primary schools have been shut down or merged due to dwindling enrollment. Some now function with barely any students.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 paints a grim picture. Only 47.2% of students at the middle level in government-run schools can read a second-grade-level text. Over 70% struggle with basic division problems. Even more concerning is the decline in reading ability from 55.5% in 2018 to 47.2% in 2024.