Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has taken over 215 schools affiliated with the banned Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) and its affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), which had been fuelling a secessionist campaign across the Union territory.

As per an order, the Deputy Commissioners of the respective district would take over the management committees, and the Principals of the nearby government schools would be in charge of these institutions for a period of three months. The staff will not be changed.

However, Minister for Education Sakina Itoo told Greater Kashmir that it was an interim arrangement in which the Deputy Commissioners have been asked to take over the management committees of these institutions for three months, followed by a review.

She claimed that after the formation of the National Conference (NC) government, the parents, along with the students, approached them with the concerns that the managing committee of these schools had “expired”, leaving the careers of the students at stake.

The order issued by Secretary, School Education Department (SED),  said, "The managing committee of the 215 FAT schools would be taken over by the concerned Deputy Commissioners, who shall propose a fresh managing committee in due course for the concerned schools after getting these duly verified.”

Sakina Itoo said that parents were concerned as the Police had given a negative report about the Management Committees of around 221 schools.

“The verification of the managing committees of these schools was negative and was kept pending. This created a problem for the students at the time of their registration for the 9th to 12th exams,” Itoo said.

She said that around 51,363 students were enrolled in these schools whose careers were at stake, as the validity of the managing committee of FAT schools had already expired.

“To save the career of the children, we decided that the principal of the nearest higher secondary school will look after these FAT schools as in-charge of these schools,” Itoo said.

However, she said that the teachers, students, and buildings would be the same, while the principal of the nearest higher secondary school would look after these institutions.

She said that the decision to give the "look-after assignments" to the principals was taken as the validity of the previous managing committee of these schools had expired.

“The look-after arrangement will remain in place for only three months, after which a review will be taken in this regard. A new managing committee will be formed and will be sent to CID for their verification,” Itoo said.

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She said that the decision to look after these schools for three months had been taken in view of the problems faced by the students of these schools during the examinations for the Board of School Education.