Srinagar: The Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) and Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) have urged the government to announce winter vacations, especially for lower classes, owing to the ongoing minus temperatures and foggy conditions.
The PSAJK said that it is receiving representations from parents and schools about the challenging weather conditions. “For a 4-year-old, getting up early and preparing for school in this weather is extremely difficult. We are not a developed nation where houses, buses, and schools are centrally heated. We have to adapt to the weather,” said a spokesperson of PSAJK. “Preparing their wards for schools is a difficult task even for the parents.”
The PSAJK also said that exposure to extreme foggy conditions and minus temperatures can negatively impact children’s health. In schools, these children struggle to focus, resulting in the entire class exercise going waste.
“To safeguard the health of our children, we urge the government to announce winter vacations as early as possible,” PSAJK said.
PSAJK reiterated its demand for adjusting the academic calendar in accordance with the local temperature. “We have repeatedly conveyed to the government that the March session is not feasible for Kashmir. Our schools usually complete their syllabus up to November. We have harsh winters, and during the March session, these months are simply lost, as students don’t know whether to revise old lessons or use the time to study the syllabus of new classes,” PSAJK said.
The Association suggested aligning the academic calendar of Kashmir with local weather conditions. Government orders cannot change weather conditions, and it is in the best interest that we switch back to the old calendar, it said.
“The March session has created numerous problems, and it needs to be dealt with before more damage is done. The October session is a norm in almost every country that has harsh winters, and we are not demanding something extraordinary,” PSAJK said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) also requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to announce winter vacations, particularly for lower classes, on a priority basis.
The Association highlighted that adverse weather conditions extend beyond conventional challenges of rain and snowfall. With temperatures reaching sub-zero levels and visibility significantly reduced due to fog, the journey to school becomes arduous, especially for young students.
In a statement, the national convener of JKSA said the LG administration should consider these changes in weather. It is very difficult for kids to go to school in extreme cold and fog.
The plea specifically calls for winter vacations up to Class 8, citing the vulnerability of younger students to harsh weather conditions.
Stressing urgency, it urged the LG to make the announcement as soon as possible to alleviate the hardships faced by students and their families.
