New Delhi: A major political row has erupted after the Jammu and Kashmir government moved to formally take control of 215 schools which were being run by the Falah-e-Alam Trust (FAT), an educational body created by the Jamaat-e-Islami, a banned entity in India.
Following the ban, the Intelligence agencies are now investigating whether more schools are connected to the FAT, a creation of the Jamaat in 1972. The idea was to spread education in J&K, and in a short span of time, they became very popular.
While the ban on the Jamaat was one reason for the takeover, it had also been found that many of these schools were being influenced or guided by the ideology of the outfit.
The findings by the Intelligence agencies are what led to the latest action by the government. The FAT, which was running these institutions, repeatedly came under the scanner for its links with the Jamaat. The FAT was then banned under the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1983.
However, many of the schools continued to function under different arrangements. In 2022, a fresh review by the Board of School Education on June 16, 2022, pointed out that at least 10 FAT schools have already been absorbed into government schools.
These schools are in Kupwara, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Anantnag. Over the months, many FAT-linked schools shut down or shifted ownership to some local people or sympathisers. The FAT retained a minimal supervisory role.
However, the latest decision to take full control came after it was found that the traces of Jamaat remained. It was also found that the management body of these schools had expired. This was red-flagged by the security agencies, and this was another basis for the complete takeover.
Security officials say this is an important step and is in the larger interest of the students. The Jamaat ideology is not ideal. This ideology has been lingering on in J&K for a long time, and the results were for everyone to see. The youth would take to the streets and pelt stones or join terror outfits, officials explained. If the education system is aligned with the National Education Policy, then students will not have to suffer in terms of quality education.
The government says that this move will protect the education of thousands of children, ensure educational stability, and improve oversight. Moreover, these schools can operate in peace as there will not be constant scrutiny by the agencies.
The schools that were taken over are spread across Kashmir. Baramulla is on top of the list with 53 schools, followed by 37 in Anantnag, 36 in Kupwara, 21 in Pulwama, 200 in Budgam, 15 in Kulgam, and 15 in Shopian. Bandipora and Ganderbal have six each, while four are in Srinagar.
There are 60,000 students and 4,000 teaching and non-teaching staff. The government has assured them that both the education of children and the jobs of the staff will be safe.
The schools were taken over under the J&K School Education Rules of 2010, which were later amended in 2018 and 2022. This allows the Deputy Commissioners and District Magistrates to assume management of the schools.
(AINS)
