PSA Unveils 100-Day Education Action Plan With Focus On Community Engagement Across J&K
Calls For Child-Centric Education, Parent Partnership & Teacher Empowerment
31/07/2026
Srinagar, July 31 (KIP)-Marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the private education sector in Jammu & Kashmir, the Private Schools Association (PSA) convened its first State Executive Council meeting following the successful completion of its historic three-tier democratic elections at the zonal, district and state levels. The meeting was chaired by PSA State President Bilal Ahmad Bhat and brought together newly elected office bearers, district presidents, zonal representatives and members of the State Executive Committee from across Jammu & Kashmir to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening quality education, teacher development and community engagement.
The elections, which witnessed an overwhelming participation of member schools across the Jammu & Kashmir, were widely acknowledged as one of the largest democratic exercises within the private education sector. The electoral process was conducted in the presence of government officials, retired senior officers, eminent educationists, civil society representatives and local community members, who appreciated the elections as transparent, peaceful and fair.
The Executive Council deliberated extensively on key educational priorities, including improving learning outcomes, strengthening teacher training, enhancing moral education, promoting sports and extracurricular development, introducing modern educational practices, and building stronger partnerships with parents, civil society organisations and Mohalla Committees. Members also resolved to intensify efforts towards employment generation, noting that private schools provide livelihoods to thousands of teaching and non-teaching professionals across Jammu & Kashmir.
The meeting unanimously reaffirmed that child-centric education would remain the guiding principle of the Association and stressed that schools must function not merely as academic institutions but as centres of social development and responsible citizenship.
Addressing the Executive Council, PSA State President Bilal Ahmad Bhat said the Association has entered a new phase of responsibility after successfully completing its democratic process. "This was our first Executive Council meeting after the historic elections and we have begun serious deliberations on the challenges and priorities before every district. Our foremost commitment is to resolve genuine issues faced by schools through dialogue and institutional engagement while ensuring that the interests of students always remain top priority."
He announced that the Association would establish stronger communication channels with parents and urged them to actively report any violation of educational norms. "Parents are among the most important stakeholders in education. If any school violates government regulations or acts unfairly towards students or parents, they should approach the Association office. We will officially examine every genuine complaint, Our responsibility is not merely to represent schools but to safeguard the rights of children and parents alike."
PSA President said quality education should never become a financial burden on families. "Schools should remain child-friendly and parent-friendly institutions. Practices that impose unnecessary financial pressure on parents or create inequality among children have no place in a healthy educational environment. We are committed to promoting an education system based on values, fairness and social responsibility."
Highlighting the need for stronger school-community engagement, he said the Association would soon organise large-scale conferences involving parents, education experts, civil society organisations and Mohalla Committees.
"The future of education cannot be shaped by schools alone. Parents, teachers, community leaders and civil society must work together. We will soon organise community education conferences to discuss moral education, sports, emotional wellbeing, counselling, artificial intelligence, modern learning methods and overall child development. Our mission is to prepare children who are academically strong, morally responsible and globally competitive."
He reiterated that PSA would continue to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government for educational reforms. "We seek partnership, not confrontation. Government institutions should become facilitators and hand-holders for schools so that together we can build model educational institutions that serve every locality and contribute to the welfare of society."
Presenting the organisational roadmap, PSA General Secretary (Organization) Mohammad Syed Wani announced that the Executive Council had unanimously adopted a comprehensive 100-Day Action Plan aimed at addressing pressing issues confronting private schools. "Today's meeting was primarily focused on preparing an action-oriented roadmap. Every district participated in framing our 100-day plan, under which we have prioritized the major challenges faced by member schools and identified clear mechanisms for engaging with the Government."
He said the Association would immediately pursue long-pending regulatory issues, particularly those concerning NOCs and lease-related documentation. "One of our foremost priorities is the rationalisation of various No Objection Certificates and statutory permissions. We have consistently demanded that the validity of annual NOCs should be aligned with the five-year registration period of schools. Such reforms will reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and allow institutions to focus on educational quality."
Calling for a balanced perception of private education, Wani said "It is unfair to judge the entire private education sector because of a few violators. Thousands of schools are working honestly, educating children and generating employment. Genuine institutions deserve encouragement, while violations, wherever they occur, should certainly be addressed according to law."
PSA Treasurer Hilal Ahmad Khan emphasised that organisational unity would remain a central focus to the Association's functioning. "The successful completion of our democratic process has strengthened the credibility of the Association. Our responsibility now is to ensure that every decision translates into meaningful support for schools, teachers, students and parents. We remain committed to strengthening institutional accountability while supporting initiatives that improve educational standards across Jammu & Kashmir."
PSA Director Media & Communications Dr. Owais Mattoo emphasised that teacher empowerment would be the cornerstone of educational transformation. "If we genuinely want to improve education, we must first improve our teachers. The quality of tomorrow's classrooms depends entirely upon the quality of teacher training we provide today."
Dr. Mattoo announced that the Association had held a productive interaction regarding collaboration on Financial Literacy education. "One of the most encouraging outcomes of today's deliberations was our collaboration on Financial Literacy. Under this initiative, teachers will first receive specialised training so that they can effectively introduce financial education among students. This is an important step towards preparing children for responsible financial decision-making in the future."
He described the collaboration as timely and aligned with emerging educational priorities. "This initiative represents a progressive addition to our teacher development programmes and will further strengthen modern classroom learning."
Bilal Ahmad Hakeem, SEBI Certified Market Trainer and Resource Person for the National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE), welcomed the collaboration with PSA and described it as a major step towards implementing Financial Literacy under the National Education Policy (NEP-2020).
"Financial literacy has become an essential life skill. Through this collaboration with the Private Schools Association (PSA), we will first train teachers and subsequently enable them to educate students on responsible financial behaviour, savings, investment awareness and informed decision-making."
He said the initiative would introduce schools to various financial awareness programmes jointly promoted by national financial regulatory institutions.
"These programmes are conducted under the National Centre for Financial Education with the support of institutions such as SEBI, RBI and other financial regulatory bodies. Besides classroom awareness, teachers and students will also learn about government financial schemes, financial inclusion and consumer awareness."
He added that the programme would be gradually implemented across private schools in Jammu & Kashmir. "Teacher empowerment remains our first objective because empowered teachers create financially aware students and ultimately, a financially responsible society."
Members unanimously resolved to organise regular district-level consultations with parents, teachers and civil society groups to collectively address educational challenges, promote moral values, strengthen sports culture, enhance counselling services and create a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
The Association also reaffirmed its commitment to working for employment generation by strengthening the private education sector, which provides livelihood opportunities to thousands of teachers and non-teaching staff throughout Jammu & Kashmir.
The meeting concluded with a Vote of Thanks presented by PSA PRO B.A. Shah, who thanked all Executive Council members, district representatives and participants for their active participation and reaffirmed the Association's collective commitment to strengthening quality education through democratic leadership, professional excellence and meaningful community engagement.