The Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School, one of Kashmir’s oldest Catholic educational institutions, faces an uncertain future as the authorities in Kashmir have not renewed the land lease documents of the institution. Located in Baramulla, 60 km north of Srinagar, the school was established in 1905.
The school has been grappling with the challenge of renewing its land lease since 2018 to secure the future of hundreds of its students. Among the students, 700 in classes 9 to 12 require registration by the government education department to appear for examinations.
In April 2023, a Statutory Order (SO) from the Union Territory's education department, followed by an order from the Board of School Education, prevented the affiliation and registration of students from private schools operating on state land whose lease has not been renewed. The Board of School Education has refused to register St. Joseph’s students for board examinations in the absence of land lease documents.
Father Sebastian, Principal of the School, said despite bringing the matter to the attention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, no action has been taken so far. He said there has been no positive response from revenue and education departments regarding the lease extension for the school despite their serious efforts.
“Even the registration of students in the government schools is not happening for the examinations,” he said. “Our school's case is different from other schools that are facing the land lease renewal problem, which has been acknowledged by the officials.” He said the parents are worried as the fate of their children hangs in the balance. “We are seeking a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha,’’ he said. “Last time, there was a direction from his office about our issue but the way it was written to the revenue and the school education department was not very clear as was the case for Army Goodwill Schools, which are not even 50 years old. They were permitted the registration of students,’’ he said.
He said the school is a 120-year-old institution along with a hospital which is 103 years old. He said the total land with the school and the hospital is 170 kanals (21.25 acres) of which the lease for 19 kanals (2.375 acres) is valid till 2037.
“The lease was renewed in 1981, and three years before its expiry we applied for an extension,’’ the principal said. “The formalities from our side were completed, and in 2021, the Baramulla deputy commissioner forwarded the file to the divisional commissioner who was supposed to forward it to the secretary of revenue, which didn’t happen.”
He said there were some clarifications sought which were done, and the file was again submitted to the divisional commissioner by the deputy commissioner in April 2022. “Even after that, nothing happened,’’ he said.
The school currently has around 4,000 students and approximately 390 staff members, including those at the hospital. St. Joseph is the second oldest school in Kashmir after Tyndale Biscoe School at Sheikhbagh in Srinagar.
The school was targeted by the tribals during the 1947 Tribal Invasion, leading to the killing of some staff. The school has been at the forefront of providing quality education to students in north Kashmir and provided unhindered healthcare to patients in Baramulla and the vicinity.
Several schools in Kashmir are facing a threat due to an amendment in the Education Act in 2022, providing fresh guidelines for private schools in the UT. The order mandated the closure of private schools established on state land not having their lease renewed.
With authorities not renewing the land lease, the Board of School Education has reportedly refused to register students for board examinations, leading to uncertainty for the students
