Govt decision on winter vacation draws flak

Srinagar, Tuesday, 23 November: The state government’s decision to keep schools open in winter has drawn flak from the student and teacher community here, who say the move in “unnecessary”.

The government has decided to reduce the period of winter vacation to compensate the loss of three months of education in view of the protests this summer here. State education minister, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed said the high and higher secondary schools would remain open for one or two months during winter “to compensate the loss of education to students in the Kashmir Valley during the agitation."

However, students and teachers are unhappy over the decision. “The exams are over now. We have done well. There is no need to keep the schools open and deprive the students of winter vacations,” Tanveer Khan , a student of government school Natipora said.

Noted Academician Dr Abdul Gani Madhoosh, too believes that academically the results are not disappointing despite the educational losses suffered by the student community.

Madhosh, who is also chairman of the Dr A.G.M’S City School, says “the decision to keep schools open during winters is unnecessary”.

Even though the minister has claimed that proper heating arrangements would be made to save the students and children from the bitter winter chill, there are apprehensions.

“Our school doesn’t even have proper seating arrangements. We’re forced to sit on jute mats. When the government hasn’t bothered to fix windowpanes and other minor infrastructure all these years, talks of heating arrangements seem to be too much,” said a teacher at a government middle school in old city.

“80 percent of children in the Valley study in Government Schools which hardly have any basic infrastructure. The government should have considered this before taking the decision,” the teacher added.