Srinagar, Jan 21: Almost a month into the class work at the coaching centres, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) sends them the list of needy and orphan students supposed to be enrolled under the 10 per cent free quota.
In the first place, the DSEK delayed the circular asking the coaching centres to set aside 10 per cent quota for the needy students after they had started classes in early December.
With the DSEK issuing the very first list of the needy students on December 26 and the last one on January 8, the students under the quota told The Kashmir Monitor they have lost a crucial period.
An aggrieved student preparing for a competitive examination at the national level said, “The directorate delayed publishing the list inordinately and made miss a crucial period for studies.”
“I even approached the DSEK to expedite the process, but to no avail.”
He said the coaching centre he was finally asked to join refused to entertain him without a recommendation letter from the DSEK.
“We do not know about the list,” surprised brother of a student from Bandipora, said.
While the girl figures in the list recommended by the DSEK to a coaching centre recently, her brother said the directorate has not yet informed them.
Applying at the DSEK immediately after the circular “a month ago” as per the girl’s brother, “They told us that they would inform us about the list, but till date they have not.”
Accusing the DSEK of “playing a joke” with the destitute students, several coaching centres termed the DSEK’s handling of the special quota “ill-planned”.
“If they were really serious about the initiative, they shall have issued the list before the classes at the centres started,” a teacher at a leading coaching centre here said.
“The students are suffering. We have started the course in the first week of December. The DSEK sent us the first list in December ending and they are still issuing the lists. They are playing a joke with the students and the coaching centres as well.”
“Instead of helping the students, it would have a counter effect on the students. What would a student understand joining the classes late by a month?” the teacher remarked.
Another teacher added: “We started a 3-month crash course for the students appearing for competitive exams in early December. One month is already over. How does the coaching help a student who joins now?”
The coaching centres said that the DSEK might issue more lists of the students under the quota in the coming days.
Director School Education Kashmir, G N Itoo, could not be contacted for comments.
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