“Experiences of decades have shown that students completing their annual exams in November-December and attending winter tuitions for the next classes perform better both in the Board and as well as competitive examinations like NEET”.
Restoring the November-December Examination the first popular decision of the newly elected Omar Abdullah Government is supported by all and opposed by none in Jammu & Kashmir particularly the Kashmir Valley. Mere announcement of the decision won’t have brought as much joy and satisfaction to the students and the teachers as has been brought by its immediate implementation by switching the examination session back to November-December for students from Ist Primary to Class 9th and leaving the restoration of November-December examination session for Class 10th to Class 12th by J&K Board Of School Education (J&K BOSE) from the next academic year. The March-April Session implemented by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led Administration just two years ago in the year 2022 in line with a policy decision to bring the academic calendar of J&K at par with the rest of the country lasted just for two years in Kashmir division as the decision in no way suited the students in Valley due to prolonged winter vacations of two and half months a decades old routine practice followed by the successive Governments in Jammu & Kashmir. Experiences of decades have shown that students completing their annual exams in November-December and attending winter tuitions for the next classes perform better both in the Board and as well as competitive examinations like NEET ( National Eligibility Entrance Test) conducted annually for admissions to undergraduate Medical and Engineering courses across the country. Notably Omar Abdullah led National Conference Government has won the public goodwill by taking the decision in consultation with the civil society groups of Kashmir Valley including parents and teachers associations. Merely fixing the examination schedule per the convenience and comfort of the students does not improve the standards of education anywhere in the world but the quality education comes through improvement in teaching practices and accountability of teachers in schools and college.
“While November examination session designed to reduce disruptions in students’ learning schedules due to climatic conditions and seasonal compulsions has been restored in Kashmir Valley to the utter academic convenience and comforts of students, uniformity in accountability and infrastructural facilities for both Government and Private Schools deserves immediate attention of the Omar Abdullah National Conference Government.”
Having already introduced smart attendance system the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha led administration has already improved the accountability system in Government run schools and the onus of introducing similar smart attention system in private schools lies on Omar Abdullah led National Conference Government. The accountability is not only about the smart attendance system but it is also about the performance of teachers which one way or other can’t be improved without improving the infrastructural facilities at Government and fixing similar infrastructural norms for private schools. While November examination session designed to reduce disruptions in students’ learning schedules due to climatic conditions and seasonal compulsions has been restored in Kashmir Valley to the utter academic convenience and comforts of students, uniformity in accountability and infrastructural facilities for both Government and Private Schools deserves immediate attention of the Omar Abdullah National Conference Government.
