Sajad Lone says FAT schools fulfil academic excellence need of poor man
Lone said that the schools under Falah e Aam Trust(FAT) taken over by the government produced excellent results over the years
After government took control of the management of 215 schools allegedly affiliated with banned Jamaat e Islami(JeI) , People’s Conference president Sajad Lone on Sunday said that such institutions were poor man’s elite private schools and expressed scepticism whether the government would be able to sustain the academic excellence of these schools.
Lone said that the schools under Falah e Aam Trust(FAT) taken over by the government produced excellent results over the years. “For all the negative portrayal of the FAT schools by the government, I would respond by saying that FAT schools produced excellent academic results. Prominent doctors , engineers, lawyers we see today in Kashmir and across the world have studied at FAT schools.Alas. It was the poor man’s private school. It had the distinctiveness of not being in the government sector. It had the affordability of government sector and academic exclusivity of the private sector. And it delivered academic excellence, “ he said.
The school education department had on Friday ordered the takeover of 215 schools affiliated with banned JeI and its Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), where over 51,000 students are enrolled, in order to “safeguard their academic future”. The move drew criticism from political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including PDP, People’s Conference, Apni Party and JeI-backed Justice and Development Front (JDF) J&K.
Lone urged government to allow the schools maintain their level of excellence.
Amidst the backlash over the order, the education minister Sakina Itoo on Saturday went on the defensive, claiming that the issued order was not what she had actually approved. The minister said she had approved a draft order that stated the schools will be looked after by the principals of the nearest higher secondary schools, and not by the deputy commissioners as mentioned in the issued order by education secretary. She also said the schools will be looked after by the government only until a new management committee is formed.
Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the National Conference (NC) leadership, particularly education minister Sakina itoo, over the controversy surrounding the government’s takeover of Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) schools.
Nabi said that by issuing contradictory orders and shifting blame on officials, the NC has “shamelessly played with the careers of more than 51,000 students.” He said that education minister, is even “clueless about her own department’s orders” and compromising the future of innocent students for political mileage.
“Is this what NC got full majority for—to toy with the destiny of our children? Instead of ensuring academic security, the Minister has plunged thousands of FAT students into uncertainty. This is nothing but a betrayal of trust,” he said.
