Prolonging the winter vacations till Mid December this year was though an attempt to overcome the academic losses suffered due to three successive covid lockdowns in last three years as per the claims of the authorities of School Education Department but unfortunately the reports emanating from the schools indicate that the very aim of overcoming the academic losses can’t be compensatied by prolonging the winter vacations and as such extending the teaching facility to students just for one more month. Though reasons for the failure to continue teaching till first snowfall of the season are many but the biggest reason is unprecedented drop in the attendance of the students in classes due to dithering cold triggered by freezing temperatures across Kashmir. While both Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and as well as Director School Education Kashmir had said that Government won’t close the schools for winter vacations before the first snowfall in valley but due to unprecedented fall in temperatures below freezing points the Government saw a situational compulsion in announcing a three phase schedule for winter vacations. After the announcement of three phase winter vacations for schools the attendance of students as per report coming from schools has reduced to more than one half due to unprecedented rise in freezing temperatures. Director School Education Kashmir had promised heating facilities inside classrooms but as per the reports emanating from schools the students of only few private schools have the heating facility and that too not sufficient enough to continue teaching for longer periods during winter in Kashmir valley.
When temperatures dip below freezing points reports about some critical health issues start coming from almost all parts of Kashmir and majority of them are those whose skin is exposed to the bitter air and children are more vulnerable to it than the elders. Winter due to weather vagaries is the time for the people of Kashmir to have access to hot food, thermal blankets, suitable clothing, and prompt healthcare facilities but this is not the time to send children to schools to attend classes in freezing temperatures where they have no access to even normal heating facilities. With the change in academic session from Oct-Nov to March April the winter vacations above all give students a good time to prepare for the examinations scheduled to held after winter vacations in March & April months from next year.
Irrefutable fact is that government schools of even semi urban areas not to talk of rural areas have been provided the heating facility required for hassle free teaching in the classes. Never forget that staying warm is imperative to survival more for children than the elders during freezing temperatures even in houses built with all the facilities required to beat the biting cold of winter across Kashmir. When temperatures dip below freezing points reports about some critical health issues start coming from almost all parts of Kashmir and majority of them are those whose skin is exposed to the bitter air and children are more vulnerable to it than the elders. Winter due to weather vagaries is the time for the people of Kashmir to have access to hot food, thermal blankets, suitable clothing, and prompt healthcare facilities but this is not the time to send children to schools to attend classes in freezing temperatures where they have no access to even normal heating facilities. With the change in academic session from Oct-Nov to March April the winter vacations above all give students a good time to prepare for the examinations scheduled to held after winter vacations in March & April months from next year.
