JAMMU, Nov 22: In light of the minimum temperatures falling below the freezing point over the past three days, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is “seriously” considering winter vacation for schools in the valley, a senior official stated on Wednesday. We are seriously considering it, but I can’t say anything until an official announcement is made (winter vacations). Divisional Commissioner for Kashmir, V K Bhiduri, told reporters in this location that a proposal has been submitted in this regard (to the administration). According to Bhiduri, the administration can easily announce winter breaks, but it also needs to make sure that students don’t suffer academically.“We must strike a balance between both. The school year is scheduled, and there are a number of factors to consider, including board exams. The government is thinking about this issue (winter vacation) because of the changes in the weather. In a day or two, there will be a formal announcement, he stated. The officials stated that based on previous experience, schools will probably close gradually. It’s possible that we won’t end every class at once. Perhaps the closure of elementary, middle, and senior secondary classes will come first. The primary classes will probably only run through this week’s end, he said.The mercury is plunging in Srinagar, where the minimum temperature last night was minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal for this time of year. The minimum temperature in the Kashmir valley has dropped dramatically since Sunday night. When kids get up to go to school, there has been a lot of fog during the past three days. In response to a question about whether the government has ordered educational institutions to arrange for heating, Bhiduri stated that schools have been made aware of the necessity for this.Since some schools have adequate heating systems and some don’t, we are unable to provide general instructions. But we have made the schools more aware of the problem,” he stated. Because of the valley’s cold wave conditions, the Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir has requested that the government take into consideration declaring winter vacations for lower grades.
