SRINAGAR, NOV 30 – Parents on Wednesday urged authorities to prepone winter vacations for at least upto 10th standard students in wake of the freezing cold conditions and absence of heating arrangements in educational institutions in Kashmir Valley.
While classes upto 5th standard have been ordered to observe the winter vacations from December 1 (tomorrow), the vacations in the middle classes (6th to 8th standard) start on December 12 and for other classes upto 12th standard, the weather prompted holidays commence from December 19.
A number of parents said that there are no heating arrangements in the educational institutions, government or private alike.
“We request authorities to prepone the vacations for at least upto 10th standard. The weather conditions are extremely harsh for students to cope up with given the fact there are no heating arrangements in almost all schools, be it government or private,” Mohammad Younis, a parent said.
Another parent, Sheikh Umair said that authorities should give priority to the health of the students. “The children invariably are prone to cold related diseases and announcing vacations for only upto 5th standard is not enough. The government must be aware of the ground realities that there is a lack of heating arrangements Kids of 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or even 12th standard are not so much grownup that he or she can ward off the cold of such magnitude,” he said, “the administration should also think of those students who might not even afford jacket. Within their houses, they may take whatever is available. It sometimes hits the psyche of the students. All these circumstances need to be taken into account and as such I respectfully urge the authorities to prepone vacations for all classes and announce them as soon as practically possible.”
Munaza Farooq, whose son studies in 7th standard at a Srinagar school, said that cold conditions are such that it becomes difficult for people in 30s and 40s to venture out. “My humble request to the authorities would be to pre-pone the vacations,” she said, adding, “There is already change in academic calendar for examinations and if weather permits, same are tipped to be held in March next year and such there is no urgency on examination front also.”
