The cabinet has approved creation of 17 new colleges in the state and has also approved up gradation of 400 government schools— 200 middle schools and 200 high schools— to their next level.
The cabinet also approved creation of 8200 teachers’ posts for these colleges and schools.
Education minister Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari said they have issued directions to the directorate of school education to identify the middle and high schools that would be upgraded, and also submit feasibility reports to the administrative department.
“We will be issuing upgradation order of schools as early as possible so that the department can start classes in the upgrdaded institutions from the next academic session,” Bukhari said.
While 2800 posts for teaching and non-teaching staff have been approved for middle schools that will be upgraded to the level of high schools, 5400 posts have been approved for high schools that will be upgraded to higher secondary level, Bukhari said.
The cabinet also approved 140 posts-- 70 teaching and 70 non-teaching posts-- for each college.
“An amount of Rs 15 crore has been approved for construction of each college besides the approval of annual recurring grants to the tune of Rs 1 crore as salary component,” he said.
The approval for creation of new institutions and posts has the concurrence of the finance department.
The up gradation of schools will cost the government Rs 383 crore in the new budget, the minister said.
He said the cabinet has also approved two colleges of architecture.
Members of Legislative Assembly will provide the list of schools that need to be upgraded on priority to the education department.
“There can be several schools in each constituency which will qualify for upgradation but priority list will be given by the local MLA,” said director school education Kashmir GN Itoo.
FROM : SYED RIZWAN GEELANI / GK