With governments both at the Centre and in the Union Territory boasting about spending hefty amounts on improving the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir, it is quite strange that every time the mercury plummets in the region, with temperatures in many places recording a steep fall, the concerned department has to announce unscheduled holidays. This is like the case this year when, taking into account the severe cold and inclement weather conditions, the Directorate of School Education Jammu (DSEJ) extended the ongoing winter vacations for all Government and Private Schools in the Summer Zone till January 17.
This was the second such order in a week as the Jammu region has been witnessing severe cold conditions, even worse than many places in Kashmir. Looking at the present scenario, chances are there that the authorities shall further extend the vacations as the weather God seems to be harsh this winter.
Considering the condition of many schools in the region, which are not ready to cater to the needs of students and staff during harsh winters, the decision taken by DSEJ is quite justified. However, what the helmsmen should worry about is the completion of the syllabus and, in many cases, the revision of the subjects as the examinations are round the corner.
The people responsible for the policies and plans for the education sector should take cues from countries which have severe climatic conditions all through the year, like places in Canada, parts of Europe, Russia, etc. In those regions, there is no disruption in studies despite inclement climatic conditions as they have developed the required edifice which caters to the needs of staff and students even during the harshest weather.
It is necessary to emulate a similar approach in J&K by creating school edifice with air-conditioning to make schools independent of climatic conditions. Even the summer vacations of more than a month every year are nothing but sheer wastage of students’ time, which can be utilized to hone their study skills and impart knowledge.
In a UT where the government is already very liberal in sanctioning holidays, these extra holidays on account of severe weather conditions are not at all justified. It is the right time to ponder and ensure both heating and cooling infrastructure in schools to end the culture of summer and winter vacations and focus on imparting knowledge to students for longer durations every year, as this will increase working days and help in imparting education in a much better way.
Although the issue is not that simple because there are several practical constraints such as funding priorities, energy costs, geographic challenges, and socio-economic realities, it is time to set this target and start working on it with synergy and dedication because only this approach can ensure such a change one day.
