Srinagar: Teams of officials accompanied by police visited schools affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) across the 10 districts of Kashmir as the J&K government on Saturday took over their management.
According to officials, the entire process was conducted “peacefully and smoothly”, without disturbing the education of the students.
The School Education Department had on Friday ordered the takeover of 215 schools affiliated with JeI and its Falah-e-Aam Trust, where over 51,000 students are enrolled, in order to “safeguard their academic future”.
On Saturday morning, officials of district administrations, principals of the respective nearest high and higher secondary schools, accompanied by police teams, reached these schools. The administrative teams took charge of the schools, checked their documents and the infrastructure, as well as interacted with the staff, the officials said.
The move drew criticism from various political parties in Kashmir, with some calling it “administrative overreach”.
The Friday order said, “The Managing Committee of the 215 schools shall be taken over by the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner concerned who shall propose a fresh Managing Committee in due course for the concerned schools after getting these duly verified.”
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, on February 28, 2019, and again on February 27, 2024, declared the Jel as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“The Intelligence Agencies have identified a number of schools which were found to be directly or indirectly affiliated with proscribed organisation Jamat-e-Islami (Jel)/Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT),” the order said.
It said the validity of the managing committees of these schools has expired, and also these panels have been “reported adversely” by the intelligence agencies.
The order said the decision to take over the managing committees of such schools has been taken in order to safeguard the academic future of the students enrolled in these schools.
The concerned District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner shall take appropriate steps in consultation and in coordination with the School Education Department to ensure that the academic career of the students enrolled in these schools is not affected in any manner, it added.
Education Minister Sakina Itoo, however, said that the schools will be looked after by the principals of the nearby high or higher secondary schools. She said the draft approved by her on Friday mentioned that the cluster principals would look after these schools, contrary to the order issued by the School Education Department Secretary, an IAS officer who reports to the LG.
