Jammu, Dec 24: The school education department is likely to review its decision of winter schooling in the Kashmir valley following public outcry and unrelenting freezing cold. A simmering tussle between the finance and the education departments over the issue is also seen as one of the reasons for the government to review the decision.
The education department now mulls closure of schools “for few weeks” in case there is no respite from the prevailing harsh weather conditions in the Valley.
According to informed sources senior functionaries of the department have decided to monitor the situation till December 31, following which the winter schooling decision will be reviewed.
Sources said the department may announce a break for few weeks if the temperature continued to slide further. The decision was taken at a high level meeting, here on Thursday, sources added.
As snow still eludes Kashmir, the minimum temperature has fallen to minus 6 degrees Celsius making it difficult for the government to carry on with the much-hyped winter schooling with scarce heating arrangements in the schools.
“The shivering weather conditions are forcing the department to review the decision for the safety of school children,” sources said.
“Winter schooling was inevitable for securing future of lakhs of students across Valley, who lost their precious time during the summer turmoil but at the same time we are monitoring the deteriorating weather conditions”, said Naseema Lankar, Commissioner Secretary School Education.
“We have received good response from the parents in every part of the valley, but weather is creating problems. We had decided to use winter months to make students little stress free also”, she said adding, “We will consider the situation after December 31 and in case the weather conditions continue to remain same, we may go for few weeks break in the schools”.
Pertinently, Chief Education Officers (CEO)s of the respective districts have been asked to ensure effective heating arrangements in all the high and higher secondary schools in their respective jurisdiction after observing all codal formalities and procedures.
“Steps have been taken but chill this time during day is unbearable as such measures taken are not proving effective at places”, said an official.
While the education department had announced winter break for all the educational institutions in the Valley upto middle classes, it had announced to continue schooling for classes 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th. Winter schooling was started in nearly 650 educational institutions in the Valley.
Sources, preferring anonymity, further claimed that the state finance department has also shown concern over the winter schooling decision. It was learnt that the department has sent a query to the education department asking the later to explain as why it was necessary to keep the schools open in winter season when the examination of most of the classes, which were affected due to the summer turmoil, have been conducted.
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