JAMMU: Minister for Education, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, on Friday distributed regularisation orders among 261 Contingency Paid Workers (CPWs) of the School Education Department and virtually laid foundation stones for several educational infrastructure projects across Jammu division at Abhinav Theatre, Jammu.
The programme was attended by Project Director Samagra Shiksha Bhawani Rakhwal, Director School Education Jammu Dr. Naseem Javid Choudhary, Joint Director SCERT, senior officers of the School Education Department, Chief Education Officer Jammu, principals, lecturers, educationists and district administration officials.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality education, strengthening school infrastructure and ensuring the welfare of employees associated with the education sector.
She described education as the cornerstone of social and economic development and said that multiple initiatives are being undertaken to transform the educational landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.
Congratulating the regularised CPWs, Sakeena Itoo appreciated their contribution to the functioning of the department and said their regularisation fulfilled a long-pending demand.
She said the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had fulfilled its commitment to provide social security and dignity to workers who had served the department for many years.
The Minister also called for zero tolerance towards teacher attachments from far-flung areas to urban centres and directed the Director School Education and Chief Education Officer Jammu to immediately repatriate such teachers to their original places of posting.
She said the shortage of teachers in rural areas was often the result of teachers avoiding postings in remote locations and stressed that students in villages should not suffer due to the absence of teaching staff.
“Need of the hour is to send them back so that children in villages do not suffer,” she said.
Sakeena Itoo further informed that a transparent transfer policy for the School Education Department is under process and is being framed on the lines of the policy already implemented in the Higher Education Department.
On the occasion, the Minister virtually laid foundation stones for several infrastructure projects, including: Construction of an Elementary Hostel at Government Middle School Hiranagar. Upgradation and modernization of Government Higher Secondary School Nagrota Gujroo. Construction of additional classrooms at Government Higher Secondary School Pallan.
She said these projects would significantly improve educational facilities and create a better learning environment for students in the concerned areas.
The Minister also released several educational publications prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training Jammu and Kashmir aimed at enriching teaching-learning processes and supporting the implementation of contemporary educational reforms.
Earlier, Director School Education Jammu Dr. Naseem Javid Choudhary, in his welcome address, presented an overview of the CPWs regularisation process and ongoing academic initiatives. He said the department was undergoing a phase of significant development aimed at strengthening the education sector across Jammu and Kashmir.
