Private tuition centres in Baramulla flout heating guidelines

Baramulla, Nov 23: As Kashmir grapples with persistent foggy conditions and severe cold, private tuition centres in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district fail to provide adequate heating arrangements, leaving students to endure the intense cold during their classes.
Muhammad Ashraf, a parent while expressing his anger over the blatant disregard for guidelines set by the J&K administration to run such coaching centres, said that these centres were supposed to operate under the administration's regulations.

However, he said that due to a lack of accountability, all such coaching centres, especially across the rural areas run without caring for the health of students.
Ashraf, whose daughter attends one of the academies in Baramulla, highlighted the absence of heating arrangements despite the intense cold temperatures.
“Although there are set guidelines for operating a tuition centre, one of which is to ensure proper heating arrangements during winter, the management of these private tuition centres are neglecting accountability and subjecting young students to shiver in cold,” he said.

Farooq Ahmad, a class 12th student enrolled in a private coaching centre, while sharing his experience, said that attending classes starting at 7:30 am is unbearable due to the lack of heating arrangements.

He said that students were advised to attend classes with the assurance of receiving day notes on their mobile phones.
“In such biting cold, it is impossible to concentrate on what is being taught. There is no heating arrangement, and we are just told to listen to the lectures and the notes will be sent to our mobile phones later,” he said.

Chief Education Officer (CEO), Baramulla, Balbir Singh said that these centres had already been instructed to arrange proper heating arrangements and warned that strict actions would be taken against the violators.

“The violators will be strictly dealt with,” he said. Kashmir continues to reel under severe cold conditions.

The MeT officials had said that dry weather would continue till November 26.