Winter classes face flak from school students in Kashmir

The Education department of the Jammu and Kashmir government had decided to keep the schools open for secondary and senior secondary classes to allow the students to complete their studies which were affected during the summer unrest.

The state government also sanctioned Rs six crore for installing heating facilities in the schools but complaints continue to pour in. Though money was released for repairing windows and fixing the window panes in the schools,there were no heating arrangements made in the classrooms,an employee of the education department said on condition of anonymity.

The decision to keep schools open was criticised by many quarters since the final examinations were held in October. “Unless the government feels that there will be a repeat of last summer’s events,there is no point in putting the young kids through such harsh conditions,” Abdul Rehman Dar,a retired teacher,said.

The period has coincided with ‘Chillai Kalaan’ — the harshest 40-day winter period in the region.

Some quarters have alleged that the government’s decision to keep schools open despite the chilling winter is a punishment to the students for participating in the protests.

Meanwhile,the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the government to ensure proper heating facilities in all the schools which have been kept open in winter months.

It asked the officials on Saturday to submit a report by the end of this month while hearing a PIL filed by advocate G N Wani on the issue.

Prominent educationist Abdul Gani Madhosh,however,said winter schooling can be productive and beneficial for the students if the required steps are taken by the government.

He said there is now a growing realisation among parents and students that the nearly three-month-long vacation is not “justified”,and the government needs to look into the operational problems for implementing its plan. “There are complaints that there were no heating and drinking water facilities,there are no windows… Had the government announced its decision of winter schooling in June and started preparations for it,it would not have seemed a harsh decision,” Madhosh remarked.