by Dr Suhail Naik
Education forms the bedrock of a nation’s future. It must not falter under the pressure of rising temperatures or deteriorating infrastructure. The government possesses the tools, the personnel, and the institutional capacity.
The recent debate over extended school vacations and altered timings in response to severe heat waves has opened a critical conversation in Jammu and Kashmir. Many view it narrowly as a question of rescheduling or granting children additional days off. However, the issue runs far deeper. It reveals the profound structural weaknesses in our educational infrastructure that extreme weather events have brought starkly to light.
In the absence of adequate facilities and foresight, classrooms become unbearable, and school buses feel like airless compartments. For lakhs of children, attending school in such heat is no longer a pursuit of knowledge but a test of endurance. When temperatures cross 35 degrees Celsius and there are no measures in place to mitigate the impact, a school day turns into a struggle marked by dehydration, exhaustion, and health risks.
Climate Crisis in the Classroom
Industrialisation, unchecked urban development, deforestation, and the expansion of transport networks have contributed to significant disruptions in climate patterns. Year after year, new temperature records are set. Within this altered climate landscape, the inadequacy of our school infrastructure stands exposed. Most schools, whether private or government-run, lack even the most essential safeguards to ensure a secure and comfortable learning atmosphere during extreme heat or cold.
Parents’ concerns are entirely valid. When children return home pleading for chilled water or cold beverages to recover from oppressive bus rides or stifling classrooms, it is not merely a matter of inconvenience. It signals a collective failure to guarantee a basic standard of safety. That families now appeal for extended summer breaks to protect their children reflects a deep unease. It should compel decision-makers to reassess school preparedness. Ideally, institutions should be equipped to such an extent that students wish to remain in school longer, and parents feel reassured rather than anxious.
Stark Divide
The ongoing debate has also highlighted the visible divide between private and government schools. It is an uncomfortable truth that government institutions are often regarded as a last option by those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is not due to a shortage of qualified educators. Government teachers are recruited through competitive civil service examinations and often rank among the most capable.
However, their effectiveness is diminished by crumbling buildings, outdated resources, and the persistent neglect of basic infrastructure. The absence of digitised classrooms and reliable access to clean drinking water further hampers educational delivery.
Health Sector
In contrast to the education sector, the health system in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has managed to retain the public’s trust. Despite the growth of private nursing homes and hospitals, government medical institutions have not lost their relevance. The pandemic offered definitive proof that, when driven by political will, the government possesses the capacity to establish high-quality facilities within days. COVID-19 field hospitals, oxygen plants, and upgraded intensive care units were operationalised swiftly. This raises a pressing question: why is a similar level of urgency and administrative strength not directed towards schools?
The crisis confronting education is not the weather itself, but the persistent failure to prepare for the climate conditions we now face. The pandemic demonstrated that the state could construct oxygen plants overnight, repurpose railway coaches into intensive care units, and mobilise entire industrial networks to produce critical equipment in record time. However, when it comes to shielding children from predictable and recurring heat, there is a pattern of avoidance rather than action.
Structural Resilience
If there is a genuine intent to protect the nation’s future, the effort must begin with physical and institutional resilience. Schools require proper insulation, roofs that reflect heat, effective cooling systems, shaded outdoor spaces, and reliable, comfortable transport. These are not luxuries. They form the foundation of meaningful education in an age of climate uncertainty.
The urgency with which the public demanded COVID-19 hospitals and oxygen cylinders must now be redirected towards creating heat-resilient schools. Education should not be seasonal. It must remain a constant, the central axis of a nation’s development.
A country that refers to its children as the torchbearers of the future must offer more than mere endurance. Children deserve to learn in settings that preserve their dignity. The next generation’s lessons should not be written in sweat and heatstroke. Classrooms must be places where the mind, and not the body, carries the weight of the day.
Policy, Will, and Priorities
This is not a seasonal inconvenience. It is a crisis that demands recognition. The solution is not beyond reach. It is a matter of priority and resolve. If the government chooses, it can modernise thousands of schools within a short span. Classrooms can be equipped with proper heating and cooling systems, school buses redesigned for climate suitability, and every child placed in an environment that supports both physical safety and mental focus. This responsibility cannot fall solely on a head teacher or a local official. It requires a formal policy, robust financial commitment, and unwavering accountability.
Imagine the transformation if every elected representative channelled constituency development funds into school infrastructure instead of superficial projects. The collective impact would be significant if each Member of the Legislative Assembly or Member of Parliament treated school modernisation as a constituency’s top priority. While mid-day meals and free textbooks are essential, they cannot replace classrooms that uphold the dignity of learning.
It is not the growth of private schools that has diminished the standing of public institutions. Rather, it is the state’s longstanding neglect. This has led government employees, teachers, and the middle class to avoid public schools for their children, widening the divide and cementing the notion that such schools exist only for the poor. This cycle must be broken. The time has come to move beyond assigning blame and acknowledge that a thorough, structural correction is urgently needed.
Strengthen the Foundations
Education forms the bedrock of a nation’s future. It must not falter under the pressure of rising temperatures or deteriorating infrastructure. The government possesses the tools, the personnel, and the institutional capacity. What remains to be demonstrated is the intent to act. The future of the country resides within its classrooms. These spaces must be built to endure a shifting climate and rise to the dignity of nurturing the aspirations of a generation.
Temporary measures such as extending vacations or adjusting school hours may provide short-term relief. They do not address the underlying crisis. What is needed are lasting, structural interventions. Buildings must be properly insulated, ventilation systems installed, playgrounds shaded, and buses redesigned to remain cool and safe. Above all, a culture of maintenance is required to preserve these improvements over time.
The classroom is not merely a physical space. It is where the nation’s future begins to take shape. These spaces must embody dignity, security, and promise. They must match the potential of the children they serve and reflect the value the country places on its coming generations.
(The author is a consultant paediatrician and president of the Doctors Association Kashmir. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of Kashmir Life.)
