Srinagar: Education Minister Sakina Masood said on Saturday that the decision to incorporate a ‘hybrid learning model’, combining early morning classes with mandatory online sessions after school hours, was ‘weather-centric and unbiased’ decision.
The administration, according to the minister, could not afford to extend summer vacations since schools were shut for many days following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April this year.
“Incorporating the hybrid learning model in schools was made based on the weather conditions and not on our own preferences or with the intention of discriminating against students by forcing them get up early and go to school.
“We waited for about a week before asking the Secretary Education and the Directors of both regions to put the matter into public domain in order to get a better feedback,” the minister told the media on the sidelines of a two-day medical conference ‘Scientific Program: Allergies’ (2nd Edition) at Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial (JLNM) Hospital, Rainawari.
She said the students would not be able to complete their syllabus if the government had extended summer vacations by a few more days.
The minister said the ‘hybrid learning’ model was urgently needed due to the sudden spike in day temperature, making it impossible for kids to attend class during the severe heat wave conditions. She said the decision was not ill-conceived but well thought-out and non-discriminatory against students.
“After the weather improved significantly and the rains started, we made the decision to modify school timing to accommodate the current weather conditions. I received a lot of calls from parents and kids asking to modify the early morning schedule; hence we changed the timetable with the health of the kids as our prime concern,” she added.
