Amid cold, PSAJK, parents seek early winter vacation

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 20: The Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK), along with parents, today urged the Government to prioritize announcing winter vacations for schools, particularly for lower classes.
The Association said that it has been receiving representations from parents and schools concerning inclement weather conditions, advocating for early winter vacations.
“For a 4-year-old kid, it is extremely difficult to get up early and get ready for school during this weather. We are not a developed nation where houses, buses, and schools are all centrally heated. We have to adjust according to the weather,” said a spokesperson of PSAJK.
A parent, accompanying his kid to school in Lal Chowk, also emphasized the difficulty of preparing kids early in the morning and urged the Government to provide relief, especially to lower primary students, by announcing early winter vacations.
PSAJK highlighted the negative impact of extreme foggy conditions and sub-zero temperatures on children’s health, stating, “At schools too, these children are not able to focus, thus the entire exercise of classes goes to waste. To safeguard the health of our children, we ask the Government to announce the winter vacations as early as possible.”
Parmeet Kour, a student at Mallinson School, noted issues faced due to the cold, emphasizing the lack of heating arrangements in classrooms, making it difficult to concentrate.
PSAJK reiterated its demand for adjusting the academic calendar to local temperatures, stating, “We have time and again conveyed to the Government that the March session is not feasible for Kashmir. Our schools usually complete their syllabus by November.”
The Association emphasized that Government orders cannot change weather conditions and suggested switching back to the old calendar.