SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education on Wednesday commenced a three-day workshop on the implementation of the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF) in Jammu and Kashmir.
JKBOSE, which has been designated as the State School Standards Authority (SSSA) for the Union Territory, is hosting the workshop titled “SQAAF in J&K: Implementation and Way Forward” with participation from 20 education experts, administrators and stakeholders.
The workshop aims to develop a comprehensive roadmap for implementation of SQAAF in Jammu and Kashmir, including institutional mechanisms, capacity-building strategies, monitoring systems and support structures required for effective operationalisation of the framework.
Participants are also reviewing the SQAAF digital portal developed by JKBOSE to facilitate self-assessment by government and private schools across the Union Territory. Officials said the portal will play a key role in data collection, quality monitoring, evidence-based evaluation and continuous school improvement.
Technical sessions are being conducted to assess the portal’s functionality, usability and alignment with the objectives of the quality assessment framework.
The workshop is also focusing on adapting quality indicators prescribed under SQAAF by PARAKH and National Council of Educational Research and Training to the diverse educational and geographical realities of Jammu and Kashmir.
Special emphasis is being laid on ensuring that the framework adequately reflects the Union Territory’s geographical, socio-cultural, linguistic and infrastructural diversity while remaining aligned with national standards.
Addressing the inaugural session, JKBOSE Secretary Gh Hassan Sheikh highlighted the Board’s evolving role as the State School Standards Authority and reiterated its commitment to developing a transparent and evidence-based system for assessing and improving school quality.
He said the framework would strengthen the educational landscape of Jammu and Kashmir and provide valuable data for future policy interventions and technological improvements in the education sector.
Director Academics, JKBOSE, Parveen Singh expressed confidence that the workshop would contribute to strengthening the quality ecosystem of school education and help establish a sustainable framework for educational excellence, accountability and continuous improvement.
Officials said the recommendations emerging from the workshop will form the basis for phased implementation of SQAAF across schools in Jammu and Kashmir with the objective of ensuring quality education for every learner.
