PSAJK urges govt to announce early winter vacations in Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 20: The Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) has urged the government to prioritize the announcement of winter vacations, especially for lower classes, due to minus temperatures and foggy conditions.

The Association said that it is receiving representations from parents and schools about the challenging weather conditions. "For a 4-year-old, getting up early and preparing for school in this weather is extremely difficult. We are not a developed nation where houses, buses, and schools are centrally heated. We have to adapt to the weather," said a spokesperson of PSAJK. "Even for parents, preparing their wards for schools is a difficult task."

The Association also said that exposure to extreme foggy conditions and minus temperatures can negatively impact children's health. In schools, these children struggle to focus, resulting in the entire class exercise going to waste. "To safeguard the health of our children, we urge the government to announce winter vacations as early as possible," he said.

PSAJK reiterated its demand for adjusting the academic calendar in accordance with the local temperature. "We have repeatedly 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," he said.

The Association suggested aligning the academic calendar of Kashmir with local weather conditions. Government orders cannot change weather conditions, and it is in the best interest that we switch back to the old calendar.

"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," he said.