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Saudi Arabia and Iran 'financing' schools in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said that Saudi Arabia and Iran are financing most fundamentalist schools in the state.

Intervening in the state assembly during question hour, Dr Abdullah said it was Saudi Arabia which had been financing most Jamat-e-Islami schools in the valley for the past several years.

However, now Iran has also started financing these fundamentalist schools and the Hizbullah outfit in the Valley.

He said most schools in militancy-affected Doda and Gool have been closed as no teacher is ready to go there. ''Our education sector has suffered due to militancy in these 10 years and efforts are being made to bring it again on track,'' he added.

Dr Farooq Abdullah said some English medium schools are still being run by the Jamat-e-Islami in the valley. He admitted that government schools have still not been able to compete with private schools in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, replying to a question, Education Minister Mohammad Sayed Akhoon in a written reply said most of the schools in the valley have been provided with furniture and other articles after this government assumed power in the state.

The education department was planning to introduce English as a medium of instruction in all government schools to remove the disparity with private schools.

He said for this purpose, the state government has already constituted a cabinet sub-committee.

UNI

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