Following the earlier fiasco regarding the school timings, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) on Saturday issued a fresh directive revising school timings across the Kashmir Division. The new schedule, applicable to both government and recognized private schools, will come into effect from Monday, July 14, 2025. As per Order No. 182-DSEK of 2025, schools within the Srinagar Municipal limits will operate from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, while those outside municipal limits of Srinagar district and in other parts of Kashmir Province will follow a 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM schedule. All classes shall be conducted in offline mode only.
Thankfully the concerned authorities have understood the fallacy of their earlier schedule otherwise the students were in for big trouble, psychologically as well as academically. It is unfortunate that the most sensitive sector, that is education, is being fiddled with without taking care about the students’ sensibilities, needs and requirement. It goes without saying that education is the key to any society’s progress and prosperity. Education is indeed the magic wand that not only allows access to various levers of power but also teaches how to work with these levers. No doubt if one opts to count the things that differentiate rich from poor, advanced from backward, healthy from the diseased…, it is indeed the access to the avenues of education and to all others spheres and vistas that come with it – progress and development. Today whatever ills are plaguing the poor, underdeveloped countries are in some way or the other direct fallout of the peoples’ limited access to the education. What has been the major contributing factor in development of the developed countries and people is that they were able to invest in vital sector of education well in time. One could certainly say without any fear of being disputed that the developmental lag of the third world countries is in essence the educational lag they have suffered.
Now have a cursory look at the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Look at the sad reality that so many schools are without proper buildings and other infrastructure. If there are no roof-tops on some buildings there are others which are without walls and blackboards too. While there are schools without teachers there are yet others where there are teachers with only a small number of children to come and study. In comparison, private schools have better infrastructure and have thus been attracting more and more students and have now become money minting machines. And the sad reality is that the government schools lack attention. If the government of the day is interested in better future of J&K, it has to invest in education sector.