SRINAGAR: The Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) has urged the government to declare winter vacations for schools, particularly for lower classes, as a priority due to sub-zero temperatures and foggy conditions.
The Association reported receiving representations from numerous parents and schools highlighting the challenging weather conditions. A spokesperson for PSAJK emphasized the difficulty young children face in waking up early and preparing for school in such weather. “We are not a developed nation where houses, buses, and schools are all centrally heated. We have to adjust according to the weather,” the spokesperson stated. “Even for parents, it is a difficult task to prepare their wards for schools.”
Citing concerns about the adverse impact of extreme foggy conditions and sub-zero temperatures on children’s health, the Association emphasized that such conditions hinder students’ focus in schools, rendering the entire class exercise ineffective. “To safeguard the health of our children, we ask the government to announce winter vacations as early as possible,” the spokesperson said.
The PSAJK reiterated its demand to realign the academic calendar according to local temperatures. “We have consistently conveyed to the government that the March session is not feasible for Kashmir. Our schools usually complete their syllabus up to November. We have harsh winters, and during the March session, these months are simply lost, as students don’t know whether to revise old lessons or use the time to study the syllabus of new classes,” the spokesperson stated.
Insisting that the government should align the academic calendar with local weather conditions, the Association argued that government orders cannot alter weather conditions. They advocated for reverting to the old calendar, citing the problems created by the March session. “The March session has created numerous problems, and it needs to be dealt with before more damage is done. The October session is a norm in almost every country that has harsh winters, and we are not demanding something extraordinary,” the spokesperson emphasized.
