Kupwara, Aug 20: Established in 1961, Government Boys High School Pohrupeth in Langate area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district which has a history of performing well in 10th class results is grappling with shortage of classrooms and teaching staff thus subjecting students to enduring hardships.
Although the school was accorded PM SHRI status few years ago but things did not improve at this premier educational institution of Pohru area.
The school has only six classrooms to offer for 213 students, resulting in severe hardships to students with regard to accommodation.
Locals of the area told Greater Kashmir that the school has never been a priority for the concerned department due to which their children were suffering. They expressed concern over the infrastructure and the deployment of teachers from the school to other institutions during the peak academic session.
“Sixty years ago, we as students were studying on mats. After PM SHRI status was accorded to the school, we thought that mats would be replaced by benches but there has been no change,” a local told Greater Kashmir.
Advocate Noor UlShahbaz said that the school has a limited number of teachers in view of its student strength and subject requirements. “Regular deployment of key teachers to other schools, particularly during the peak academic period, creates difficulties for students,” he said.
“The school once had a playground but haphazard construction of buildings and washrooms has left limited open space for sports and other co-curricular activities,” he added.
“When top policy makers are talking about an AI revolution in the education sector, a simple question arises, where does PM SHRI BHS Pohrupeth stand amid this transformation? Our children deserve more than promises, they deserve basic infrastructure, digital facilities and best learning environment fit for the future. We cannot prepare our children for the AI age while their school continues to struggle with basic necessities. The high school students of Pohrupeth deserve equal opportunity to be part of India’s AI revolution,” Advocate Noor said.
The school has also been functioning without a regular Headmaster since April 2026, adding to the concerns of students, parents and locals. “Of 14 teachers, only 10 were performing duties at the school presently as three female teachers have availed one year leave while one other teacher was few days ago shifted to other school creating problems for our children. We hardly have subject specific teachers at our school,” local Congress leader IrshadGanie told this correspondent.
“The school has maintained a strong academic record, consistently achieving more than 90 percent in Class 10 board examinations and producing around 30 to 40 distinction holders every year. It has also performed well in sports, cultural activities and other co-curricular fields but still then it has never been a priority for the concerned department,” he added.
The locals said that the school being one of the established educational institutions in the area, should serve as a model for surrounding schools. They urged the authorities to provide adequate classrooms, improve staff, stop unnecessary deployment of teachers and appoint a regular Headmaster at the earliest. They further said that construction of a two-storey building could provide a permanent solution to the shortage of space.
The residents further demanded that the school be upgraded to a Girls Higher Secondary School to prevent female students from facing hardships in pursuing higher education.
Meanwhile Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) LangateNaseer Ahmad refuted the claims of locals of staff shortage at PM SHRI High School Pohrupeth, he however acknowledged that the buildings are old and if land is provided by the locals, new structures would be constructed within short span of time.
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