An Overview of Education Zone Sogam, Lolab

Mohammed Ashraf Peerzada

The Lolab Valley, which is famous worldwide for its beauty and charm, is a place about which the late Allama Iqbal beautifully said:

پانی تیرے چشموں کا تڑپتا ہوا سیماب
مرغانِ سحر تیری فضاؤں میں ہیں بیتاب
اے وادي لولاب ,اے وادي لولاب

This valley has been divided into two educational zones: Zone Khumbriyal for North Lolab, and Zone Sogam for South Lolab. Under the supervision of educational zone Sogam, there are 43 Primary, 62 Middle, and 9 High Schools, whereas the number of private schools is 40.

In this educational zone the enrollment of children up to the upper primary level (excluding private schools) is 20,583. The total number of teaching staff for the upper primary level is 512.

This educational zone of the Lolab Valley has been working with remarkable speed and dedication over the past year. The primary reason for this is the appointment of a young, energetic Zonal Education Officer, Mr. Mir Mushtaq. The mentioned ZEO is an extremely serious, active, approachable, honest, ethical, and capable officer.

He arrives at the office before the scheduled time and performs his duties in a compassionate and active manner. He is serving as an excellent administrator. Any directives or information from his superiors are implemented within hours rather than taking days.

The concerned ZEO addresses various tasks on a priority basis, such as transparent oversight of MDM (Mid-Day Meals), uniforms, scholarships, free textbooks, attendance portals, Viskit Bahrat, UDISE, attendance, the arrangement of subject-specific teachers, cultural programs, and rationalization based on enrollment rolls. His proactive nature was evident during the recent snowfall, when he remained awake and alert, asking teachers to submit immediate reports in case of any disaster.

There are 5 Higher Secondary Schools within this zone. During the last academic session, vacant positions were filled by deploying subject-specific teachers on a need basis. As a result, hundreds of students benefited, and this year, the results for nearly all 5 Higher Secondary Schools in these subjects ranged from 80% to 100%.

Mr. Nazir Ahmed Malik is also ranking as ZEPO in this educational zone. He is also an active and efficient officer. He consistently inspects every school, personally conducting classes and teaching new techniques.
With the combined efforts of the aforementioned officers, schools are inspected almost every week, and the progress of education and teaching is carefully reviewed.

To increase enrollment, both officers personally visited every cluster and gave the “green signal,” thereby boosting enrollment up to the upper primary level. To fill the gap in the ministerial staff within the office, two additional clerical staff members were appointed, which has allowed office operations to run smoothly and efficiently.

In general, teachers working in this zone are known not just for being educated and knowledgeable, but also for their dedication and commitment to their profession. They treat their profession as a form of worship and work with great sincerity.

It is precisely because of this that dozens of students from these remote areas have emerged and showcased their talents in various fields. Lolab is a fertile land as Shah Faesal, who topped the IAS-level exams also hails from this Zone.

Nowadays, the mentioned zone is moving forward with remarkable speed, transparency, and dedication under the leadership of these officers. This is the reason that on the occasion of Republic Day, the respective ZEO, Mr. Mir Mushtaq, was honored with an award.

The performance of this zone was praised by the outgoing CEO, Mr. Mehraj-ud-din Shah, and continues to be praised throughout the entire district. There is a proverb “as is the head so is the institution”. The credit goes to head of this zone Mr. Mir Mushtaq and his team.

As Allama Iqbal rightly said:
نگاہِ بلند سخن دلنواز جاں پرسوز
یہی ہے رختِ سفر میرِ کارواں کے لیے

While there has been a lot of transparency, there are some noteworthy issues that need to be addressed, such as having more teachers than needed in certain schools and fewer than required in others.

In some places, there are too many Science teachers, while in others, there are too few. Another burning issue is that some schools are located a short distance from each other; by bringing them together, both students and teachers could have a more balanced experience. It is hoped that these issues will be addressed in the near future.

The writer is teacher in Educational Zone Sogam. He can be reached at ashraflolabi12@gmail.com (9797100852)