Ehsaan Yousf
“Parents Must Spend More Quality Time With Their Children”: PSA General Secretary Syed Wani
PSA’s New Education Vision: Better Learning Environment, Empowered Teachers & Greater Opportunities for Students
Srinagar, 01 Sep, 2026: The Private Schools Association (PSA) convened a high-level meeting of its State Executive Council to take stock of key challenges confronting private schools across Jammu & Kashmir, review progress on issues raised during previous deliberations and chart a comprehensive roadmap for addressing pending concerns. The meeting also focused on enhancing the quality of education, strengthening teacher training programmes, promoting sports and extracurricular activities, identifying and nurturing student talent, and ensuring the overall academic and holistic development of students.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of PSA State President Bilal Ahmad Bhat and witnessed the participation of senior office-bearers, district presidents and members of the State Executive Council. The deliberations covered immediate regulatory concerns as well as the Association’s broader vision of building a more child-centric, inclusive and progressive education ecosystem.
Among those present were PSA Vice President, Kashmir Province, Adv. Ghulam Hassan Rather; General Secretary (Organisation) Mohammad Syed Wani; Treasurer and District President Shopian Hilal Ahmad Khan; Director Media & Communications and District President Budgam Dr. Owais Mattoo; District President Srinagar Adil Habib Bhat; District President Bandipora Dr. Yasir Ramzan Bhat; District President Kulgam Dr. Waseem Siddiqui; District President Pulwama Dr. Sheikh Arshid; District President Kupwara Tanveer Ahmad Lone; District President Ganderbal Sheikh Javaid Ali; District President Er. Mehmood and PSA PRO B.A. Shah, besides other members of the State Executive Council.
PSA State President Bilal Ahmad Bhat said the meeting provided an important platform to review issues discussed during previous Executive Council meetings and assess the progress made so far. He said substantial work had already been undertaken on several concerns, while the Association would continue pursuing the remaining issues with the concerned authorities.
Bhat urged the J&K Government to expedite the appointment of a Chairman for the Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC), stating that the vacancy was delaying the resolution of fee-related issues faced by private schools. He appealed to the government to fill the position at the earliest so that pending matters could be addressed through a functional and effective regulatory mechanism.
The PSA President also reiterated the Association’s demand for extending the tenure of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) required by private schools, stressing the need to reduce repetitive procedural requirements and provide greater regulatory stability to educational institutions.
Bhat further reminded the government of its earlier assurance regarding the Political Non-Involvement Certificate (PNIC) required from schools. He urged the authorities to review and withdraw the requirement at the earliest, maintaining that unnecessary procedural requirements should not add to the regulatory burden on educational institutions.
He also reiterated the Association’s demand for permanent school registration, instead of requiring renewal after five or ten years. He said a stable registration framework would enable schools to devote greater attention and resources to improving educational standards rather than repeatedly navigating administrative procedures.
Bhat said private schools across Jammu & Kashmir were making significant contributions towards academic excellence and student development. Referring to the Association’s recent district-level felicitation of students who qualified NEET-2026, he said such initiatives had created a positive impact and encouraged young achievers to pursue their goals with greater confidence and determination.
“Our children are doing very well academically and we want to see them excel not only at the national level but also on international platforms. The Association will continue to stand with them and support their journey,” Bhat said.
He emphasised that the Association’s vision extended beyond classroom education, with greater importance being given to sports, extracurricular activities and other areas of student talent.
Referring to recent sporting initiatives, including activities organised in Budgam district, Bhat said the Association intended to encourage similar programmes in other districts to provide students with greater opportunities to participate in sports and develop their abilities.
He said children should not remain confined to classrooms, stressing that academic education and sports should progress together. “We want our children to excel in education as well as on the field. They should get opportunities to identify and develop their talents beyond academics”.
PSA General Secretary (Organisation) Mohammad Syed Wani said issues faced by private schools remained one of the Association’s foremost priorities.
He said the PSA had maintained regular engagement with top government authorities to raise concerns affecting private schools and had held several meetings with concerned officials, including the Education Minister, with the objective of finding practical and result-oriented solutions.
Wani said the Association had received assurances on several issues, including the proposed withdrawal of the Political Non-Involvement Certificate and expressed hope that the commitments would be implemented at the earliest.
“Our priority is to ensure that the issues faced by our schools are properly addressed. We are continuously engaging with the government and concerned authorities and our focus remains on finding practical and result-oriented solutions,” he said.
Wani said the Association’s educational vision was firmly rooted in a child-centric approach, under which academic achievement would be complemented by sports, extracurricular activities, moral education, environmental awareness and other areas of personality development.
He said the objective was to identify the individual strengths and talents of students and provide them with appropriate platforms to develop those abilities.
To advance this vision, he said the Association had constituted five councils, including the Sports Council, Moral Education Council, Environmental Council and Academic Council, among other dedicated initiatives. These councils, he said, would help utilise the human resources and expertise available within the Association and its member schools in a structured manner.
Wani said the Academic Council would work towards organising district-level talent search tests every year, through which talented and meritorious students would be identified at the grassroots level and subsequently provided opportunities to participate at the State level.
He said a similar approach would be adopted for sports, environmental awareness and moral education, with the aim of providing students with broader platforms for learning, participation and personal development.
He emphasised the need to make students more aware of their responsibilities towards the environment and society, while encouraging schools to highlight positive achievements and constructive developments taking place around them.
Wani also underlined the importance of continuous teacher training and professional development, saying educators must be equipped to meet the changing requirements and emerging challenges of the education sector.
“Our objective is to ensure that our teachers are continuously trained and equipped to handle the challenges of the changing education landscape. Quality education is possible only when we invest in the professional development of our teachers,” Wani said.
He also stressed the importance of greater parental involvement in children’s educational and emotional development. He said while parents were investing considerable financial resources in their children’s education, children also needed their parents’ time, attention and guidance.
“Education is not the responsibility of schools alone. Parents have an equally important role and children need their time, guidance and emotional support. We will continue encouraging parents to spend more quality time with their children,” he said.
The participation of district presidents added a strong grassroots dimension to the deliberations, with district representatives contributing their perspectives on school-related challenges, organisational strengthening and student development.
The district leadership also supported expanding academic, sports and extracurricular initiatives across Jammu & Kashmir, particularly programmes aimed at identifying, encouraging and nurturing young talent.
The meeting reiterated the Association’s commitment to promoting a holistic model of education, in which academic excellence, sports, creativity, moral values, environmental responsibility and social awareness form integral components of student development.
The leadership maintained that the collective involvement of schools, teachers, parents, students, government authorities and civil society is essential for building a stronger education ecosystem and creating greater opportunities for the younger generation.
The Association expressed confidence that continued engagement with the government and coordinated efforts at the State and district levels would contribute towards resolving pending issues and further strengthening the private school education sector in Jammu & Kashmir.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks presented by PSA PRO B.A. Shah, who expressed gratitude to the State leadership, district presidents, Executive Council members and all participants for their active involvement and constructive contributions to the deliberations.
The PSA leadership reiterated its commitment to working as a responsible stakeholder in the education sector, with a continued focus on quality education, student welfare, teacher development, institutional stability and wider opportunities for students to excel both inside and outside the classroom.
