Srinagar, Aug 23, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Saturday announced that the government will take over 215 educational institutions previously run by the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami in the Valley, asserting that the step is necessary to secure the future of thousands of students.
The minister said these schools had remained unrecognised since 2019, leaving thousands of students to struggle while appearing for board examinations. “To safeguard the interests of these students, the government intends to take over 215 schools,” Itoo said in a statement.
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On Friday, the J&K government issued a formal notice to the School Administration Department regarding the takeover of these schools, with arrangements put in place for the transition.
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The decision follows orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs which, in February 2019 and again in February 2024, declared Jamaat-e-Islami (J&K) as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Intelligence agencies had flagged several schools as directly or indirectly affiliated with Jamaat or its educational arm, Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), whose managing committees had expired and were reported adversely upon.
According to the government order, District Magistrates and Deputy Commissioners will now assume control of the institutions and, in consultation with the School Education Department, constitute fresh managing committees. The order emphasised that the academic careers of enrolled students must not be disrupted and that quality education in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) norms will be ensured.
Distribution of these schools includes 53 in Baramulla, 37 in Anantnag, 36 in Kupwara, 21 in Pulwama, 20 in Budgam, 16 in Kulgam, 15 in Shopian, six each in Bandipora and Ganderbal, and four in Srinagar.
Official records suggest that nearly 60,000 students are enrolled in these institutions, with close to 4,000 teaching and non-teaching staff employed. The process of scrutiny of FAT schools began in 2022. Earlier, 10 such schools had already been merged with government institutions under the J&K Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1983.
Over the decades, some of these schools had been taken over by community-run bodies or had changed ownership, but agencies maintained that Jamaat influence remained significant in their management structures until the 2019 ban.
Minister Sakina Itoo reiterated that the government’s priority was to safeguard children’s education and ensure stability in the academic sector. “These measures are not about politics, but about protecting the educational rights of thousands of young boys and girls,” she said. [KNT]
