After criticism, minister may review early school timings

Amid criticism over the new school timings in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo said on Tuesday that the revised timings are not final and, if needed, can be revised.

Schools across Kashmir valley reopened on Tuesday after the summer vacation. The government on Monday had announced school reopening despite demands from parents in Kashmir that the summer vacation be extended because of the intense heatwave.

After ending the summer break, the minister had said that for Srinagar and other municipal limits, the school timings will be from 7:30 am to 11:30 am. For schools, outside municipal limits (rural), the timings of schools will be from 8 am to 12 noon. She said after a one-hour break, two online classes would follow.

“Teachers will remain available till 2 pm,” she said, adding that all heads of the institutes must ensure online classes are conducted without exception.

Prior to the summer break, the schools started around 9 am.

Sakina Itoo on Tuesday said after the change in timings, a lot of people are calling up. “This is not a final decision. I want to tell you that if we feel that we have to do something about the timings, then we can do it. This is not a final decision. If people have a demand that there are some problems with the timings, we will adjust that. People should not be worried, children should not be worried,” she told reporters in Kulgam.

She said that since Kashmir has a November education session, children should study and complete their studies. “This is our aim. That is why we are trying to end the vacations so that the children study and complete their syllabus,” she said. “Because we are into mid-July. August and September are left. There is an exam in October. We are trying to ensure that the children of J&K are successful.”

The new timings, however, triggered criticism from many parents and even from the Opposition People’s Democratic Party.

Many parents said that not everyone’s school is located close to home and many students reach home after an hour.

“This decision has been taken without applying the mind,” said Mudasir Ahmad, a Srinagar resident. “The government should have taken into consideration all the factors before announcing such early timings and also then online classes.”

PDP leader Iltija Mufti had on Monday said, “Dragging children to school at 7:30 am in this scorching heat, especially when so many government schools lack fans, is illogical and cruel.”

The All J-K Lecturers Association has also demanded to “review and adopt practical school timings.” “Frequent timing changes are causing chaos for students, especially in rural and hilly areas with no transport. Early timings hurt kids’ health and safety. Teachers too are affected,” the association wrote on X.

J & K