Mobile schools for Gujjars, unable to fulfill the promise for which they were meant

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Sept 30: To provide basic education to the nomads communities of the state the state government had launched mobile schools for them, but somehow these schools are unable to fulfill the purpose.

These mobile schools are especially established for those communities who are wondering from one place to another, within a particular time. And the department appointed the appointed the teacher from the same community who is qualified among other in the community.

As per the government data, in 2007 there were about 145 mobile schools out of total 298, have been converted into regular schools. But at present, 291 mobile schools are functioning in the state, out of these 217 are stationary and 74 schools are mobile. Apart from this as per the government figures, there are 474 seasonal camps which cater to the Gujjar, Bakarwal child population.

Sources said that many of the schools face the shortage of the teaching staff as people don’t prefer to work in these institutions and there are very few Gujjar teachers.

“Due to the mobile nature of the tribals, shifting such schools is a great challenge for the administration and in many cases they remain closed for many months”, sources said.

Leader of the Gujjar and Bakarwal Community Javed Rahi stated that the government should provide the students proper infrastructure and atleast mid-day meal which is the right of these students.

Rahi said that the state government should take some steps to promote and strengthen the mobile school.

The department should open increase the number of mobile school at different places so that more people get benefited.

When contacted Director School Education, Jammu Gulzar Qureshi said that the department has no proposal to open the new mobile schools yet.

When asked about the mid-day meal Qureshi said that the department will think about it but it will take time to implement it.

According to the study conducted recently by a prominent Gujjar organisation, extreme poverty, child labour, early marriage and nomadic way of life is causing dark shadow over the future of lakhs of nomadic Gujjar children residing in the most backward, hilly and border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The findings were observed in a survey conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural foundation-- a national organization working on Indian Tribes with special focus on Gujjars.

“They are being exploited because of low family income and are not in a position to get proper education and health facilities in early age,” the survey said.

According to the survey the worst condition was of the children belonging to Ajjhari Gujjar (shepherd keepers) and Manjhii Gujjar (buffalo keepers) as 83 percent of them have not seen the school and only 17 percent children were getting education in religious institutes.

The survey said that 93 percent Gujjar children were found to be domestic servants in their own community thus have been deprived of their basic and constitutional rights.