Budgam, June 17: Residents of Jawharpora village in Narbal tehsil of central Kashmir’s Budgam district have appealed to the authorities to upgrade the Government Secondary School Jawharpora to the higher secondary level, stating that the institution has remained unchanged since its establishment in 1952 despite serving generations of students from the area.
The school was established to provide accessible education to students from Jawharpora and several adjoining villages.
Locals said that while many schools established during the same period have been upgraded over the decades, the Jawharpora institution continues to function only up to the secondary level.
Residents expressed concern over the lack of a boys’ higher secondary school in Narbal tehsil, saying the absence of such a facility forces students to travel long distances to continue their education after Class 10.
Hamiyat Ali, a local resident, said the school has played a vital role in educating generations of students from the area.
“My uncles, friends and I studied in this school and completed our education up to Class 10 here. Despite its contribution to the educational development into the various villages, the school has never been upgraded during the past 74 years,” he said.
Ali pointed out that the Government Girls Secondary School established later in Jawharpora has already been upgraded to the higher secondary level, while the boys’ secondary school continues to await a similar status.
He said students seeking admission to higher secondary classes have to travel nearly eight kilometres to enrol in the Boys Higher Secondary School in Magam. Due to limited availability of seats there, many students are compelled to seek admission in schools located in Srinagar and Baramulla districts.
“The lack of a boys’ higher secondary school in Narbal tehsil places an additional burden on families, particularly those from economically weaker sections. Parents have to spend considerable amounts on transportation to ensure their children can continue their education,” he said.
Ali said that the school fulfils the criteria prescribed by the government for upgradation and deserves immediate consideration.
“Several schools established during the same period have already been upgraded to higher secondary institutions. This school remains one of the few exceptions despite meeting the required norms,” he added.
The residents have urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and approve the upgradation of the Government Secondary School Jawharpora, arguing that the move would significantly benefit students from the entire Narbal Tehsil.
An official from the School Education Department said that no formal proposal or communication regarding the upgradation of the Government Secondary School Jawharpora has been received by the department so far.
