How A High School In Kashmir Prepares Teens For Life

By Muntashir Kifayat Hussain

When I drove to Batapora in Magam for an academic monitoring visit, I expected registers and routine checks. Instead, I found a government high school working as a lifeline for teenagers.

The school sits in the middle of the village, modest but alive with purpose. Morning assembly set the tone: rows of students in bright orange uniforms stood in careful lines, voices rising together in prayer. Their neatness showed a culture of care built into every part of the day.

Soon after, the assembly broke into smaller circles. In one corner, a female teacher spoke with a group of girls aged fourteen to sixteen. The topic was adolescence: mood swings, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and the confusion of sudden change. She explained how to manage emotions, find support and keep balance.

Twenty minutes of each school day are reserved for these conversations. In most Kashmiri schools, such talks are rare. Here they are routine.

In the lawn, a male teacher addressed a cluster of boys about drug addiction, the value of women in society, and respect for elders.

Budgam, like many districts, struggles with rising drug use. Surveys by the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Srinagar estimate nearly 70,000 young people in the valley are addicted to substances.

This school counters the threat with direct conversation and steady guidance rather than silence.

Classrooms carried the same mission statement and spirit. In the chemistry lab, students in white aprons watched their teacher connect formulas to real reactions. The lesson encouraged questions and observation.

Nearby, a physics teacher used balloons to demonstrate Newton's third law, turning a law of motion into a simple experiment.

These sessions follow India's National Education Policy 2020, which calls for hands-on learning and critical thinking instead of rote memorisation.

During lunch, teachers checked that every child ate. Two students who had come without food shared with staff. After the meal, the playground turned into a field of cricket and football. Teachers played alongside students, joining the laughter without losing authority.

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