Date:28/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/28/stories/2008042850410900.htm

National

Good primary education remains a dream for children of Prankote

Luv Puri

Mass absenteeism of teachers in remote villages common

— Photo: Luv Puri

Tough pursuit: This boy in the hilly Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir has to travel several kilometres to go to school.

Prankote (J&K): A distance from where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave his convocation address to the students of Mata Vaishno Devi University on Friday, local residents hope that steps would also be taken to improve primary education.

Mohammad Aslam, a resident of Prankote area of Reasi, says, “We are not asking for colleges but only quality primary education for our children. A teacher appointed for my village suddenly disappeared four months back. I made several appeals to the Education Department but nobody came. Ultimately I started teaching my three daughters but obviously I cannot replace the school system.”

Reasi district now has Mata Vaishno Devi University. The reasons for mass absenteeism of primary school teachers in the remote villages of the State are not hard to find. Prankote is 11 hours away from the district headquarters of Reasi and nine hours of that distance can only be covered on foot. Most of the teachers appointed in remote areas are outsiders. Similar problems plague secondary education.

Mohammad Hussaien, a resident of Dakikot village, says, “The nearest secondary school in this area is located at Laddda which is 7 km from our village. Our children walk to school everyday.”