Out of 44 students, only 13 manage to clear Class 12 exams
TAUSEEF AHMAD
SRINAGAR, Jan 17: While Kashmir is awash with celebratory headlines showcasing board toppers and students scoring a perfect 500/500 in the recently declared Class 10 and Class 12 examinations, a disturbing and largely ignored reality has emerged from the far-flung Gurez valley, where government schools continue to reel under acute staff shortages and infrastructural neglect.
At the Government Higher Secondary School (HSS) Purana Tualail (PTL) in Gurez, the results have laid bare the grim state of public education in remote areas. In a startling outcome, the school recorded a zero pass percentage in the Science stream of Class 12, with not a single student clearing all subjects.
According to official data accessed by Kashmir Despatch, the overall performance of the institution paints a worrying picture. In Class 10, a total of 22 students appeared, out of which only 10 passed, while 12 failed. The situation worsened at the higher secondary level. In Class 12, 44 students appeared, but merely 13 students managed to clear the examination, leaving 31 students unsuccessful, making Govt HSS PTL one of the poorest-performing schools in the region this year.
Teachers at the school said the Science stream bore the brunt of systemic failures, particularly due to prolonged vacancies in key teaching posts. Most Science students reportedly failed in Physics, a subject that requires continuous academic guidance.
The Principal of Govt HSS PTL, speaking to Kashmir Despatch, candidly acknowledged that staff shortages were the primary reason behind the dismal results.
“The post of Zoology lecturer remained vacant for several months. The lecturer joined barely two months before the examinations, which severely hampered syllabus completion and student preparation. In the Science stream, the majority of students have failed in Physics,” the Principal said.
Students, meanwhile, expressed deep frustration and despair over the unequal academic battlefield they are forced to compete on. A local student from Gurez said that lecturer posts in core subjects remain vacant for months in most schools of the valley, directly impacting students’ futures.
“We are competing with students who spend lakhs on coaching centres and have access to experienced faculty. Here in Gurez, we have neither. I want to become a doctor, but my father cannot afford expensive coaching. When there are no teachers in school, our dreams are crushed even before we get a chance,” the student said, his voice heavy with disappointment.
“How can the son of a poor labourer manage tuition fees or online batches?” he asked.
In contrast, Higher Secondary School Baduab, another institution in the area, showed relatively better performance. In Class 10, 11 out of 14 students passed, while 4 failed. In Class 12, 33 out of 38 students cleared the examination, with 5 failures, highlighting how availability of academic support can significantly influence outcomes.
Local activists argue that these contrasting figures underline the immense pressure faced by rural schools lacking teachers, academic resources, and monitoring. They say students in remote areas are being systematically left behind despite being evaluated through the same examination standards as their urban counterparts.
Parents have also raised serious concerns over the state of education in Gurez.
“The absence of qualified lecturers is destroying our children’s future. How can they compete when there are no teachers for months?” asked a parent of a PTL student.
Another parent lamented that while television channels glorify toppers, schools like theirs remain invisible.
“We hear about merit and excellence, but nobody speaks about schools where students fail because there are no proper Science teachers,” he said.
He further alleged that even teachers appointed to serve Gurez are often reluctant to teach there.
“Those who get jobs to serve our people manage postings of their choice elsewhere. The government supports this, and our children suffer. This injustice is killing the future of poor students,” he added.
Responding to the criticism, the Principal said corrective steps have finally been initiated.
“This year, the authorities have provided local contractual lecturers, and the school now has teachers for almost every subject. We are hopeful that the results will improve next year,” he said.
Meanwhile, district-wide figures released by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Bandipora, G.M. Pujju, present a contrasting macro picture. In Class 10, a total of 3,034 students appeared, including 1,481 boys and 1,553 girls. Of them, 2,269 students passed, while 765 failed, registering an overall pass percentage of 79 percent.
In Class 12, around 2,624 students appeared, out of which 2,114 students passed—including 1,040 boys and 1,074 girls—while 510 students failed, taking the overall pass percentage to nearly 80 percent.
However, educationists argue that these aggregate numbers mask the harsh realities faced by students in remote pockets like Gurez, where lack of teachers, resources, and accountability continues to undermine the promise of equal education for all.
