Baramulla, March 19 (KNO) : The government order to make teaching of Kashmiri subject compulsory in all secondary schools across Kashmir seems to have no takers on ground as most of the schools are yet to make the subject mandatory.
Kashmiri Language Union (KLU) a union of over two thousand members who hold the Masters, Ph.D and graduation in Kashmir subject, are urging the concerned department to implement the order at an earliest.
They also urged the authorities to create Rehbar-e-Zuban scheme on the pattern of Rehber-e-Taleem so as to preserve the mother tongue. “Despite directions from the government, Kashmiri as a subject is not being taught in the educational institutions,” Hilal Fayaz, Union General Secretary said to KNO.
“Our mother tongue is our identity and should not be ignored at any cost,” he said. “Despite the fact that via order number 652-Edu of 2013 dated 26-06-2013 conveyed by SDP vide number Edu/SDP/RMSA/2013 DATED 13-12-2013 the Kashmiri subject was supposed to be taught at secondary level in government and private schools of the state. But teaching of this subject is claimed to be neglected on the root level,” he said.
He said in the recent past, government has again ordered “via order number 333-Edu of 2017 dated 19-06-2017” to implement Kashmiri and other regional languages as compulsory sixth subjects in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in class 9th and 10th.
The order in this regard under number 333-Edu of 2017 dated 19-06-2017 reads; “In continuation to earlier orders issued on the subject, sanction is hereby accorded to be extension of teaching of regional languages, viz Kashmiri, Dogri and Bodhi to class 9 and 10th in all government and private (Recognised) schools of the state as compulsory sixth subject (Graded) in areas where the language is spoken as mother tongue.”
Dr. Sajad Ahmad, PhD. degree holder in Kashmiri told KNO that ‘none of the schools have obeyed the DSEK orders’ and are ‘not teaching Kashmiri subject’. “When we examine school to school we found that Kashmiri is not being taught in any school till date despite the government orders,” Ahmad said.
He told KNO that, “the reason they get from the schools for not teaching the subject is that that the schools do not have any Kashmiri teacher and the posts for Kashmiri teachers are vacant.” “If it is taught in certain schools that is also not being tought by the concerned degree holders,” he added while talking to KNO.
The Union with more than two thousand degree Kashmiri subject holders as members are jobless and question why they are not being absorbed by the education department so that the mother tongue could be saved. The KLU has examined several government institutions whether Kashmiri is taught or not but where disappointed by the fact that Kashmiri is not being taught.
According to their examined data, “government institutions in Baramulla including high school Wagoora, Kreeri, palhallan, Govt middle school kharpora, higher secondary kharpora,Wanigam, Pattan schools are where Kashmiri is not being taught yet”. The Union president said to KNO that same is the case of schools in Kupwara, Gamderbal, Kulgam and Budgam where yet it is not taught as a compulsory subject.
The degree holders demand the immediate implementation of government order in schools. Chief Education Officer, Shafiq Nabi while talking to KNO said that the educational institutions lack the degree holders who could teach Kashmiri.
“The education department should hire the degree holders to teach the concerned subject, meanwhile the subject is taught in certain institutions by the non degree holders,” Nabi told KNO. While talking to KNO, Naseer Ali Malik, CEO Srinagar said that this is an admistrative issue to hire the degree holders to teach the said subject.
“Kashmiri is our mother and should not be taken for granted, the government should be keen to implement it from the ground level,” Malik told KNO. CEO Kulgam, Mushtaq Ahmad told KNO that they are yet to direct the ZEO's regarding this and will be implemented timely.
An official from the Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) told KNO that under DIET have trained their teachers in the winter session so they could be able to teach Kashmiri subject, however they are not the Kashmiri degree holders.
“it is up to the government to hire the degree holders in the particular subject,” He told KNO. Despite several attempts Director DSEK could not be reached for his comments. (KNO)