As rain eases heat in Kashmir, education minister assures to review school timings
The J&K government had on Monday changed the school timings — 7.30 am to 11.30 am in municipal areas and 8 am to 12 pm outside municipal limits — owing to hot weather conditions
Jammu and Kashmir’s education minister Sakina Ittoo on Wednesday promised to review school timings as searing weather conditions across Kashmir had improved.
The government had on Monday decided not to extend the summer vacation but had changed the school timings — 7.30 am to 11.30 am in municipal areas and 8 am to 12 pm outside municipal limits — owing to hot weather conditions. The decision of early start of the school day was met with severe criticism from some parents, saying it was difficult for young students to wake up so early.
While many people, including some political leaders, had requested the government to extend summer vacations, the schools reopened from Tuesday.
Soon after the government announced change in school timings in urban and rural areas, Kashmir received back to back spells of rainfall, which led to drop in the temperature and many areas witnessed pleasant weather.
“With improvement in weather, we are going to review the morning school timings after seeking feedback from parents. Our aim is to ensure the students should get good education ahead of the October-November exams session,” Ittoo told reporters in Baramulla town.
She, however, said it’s not possible to install air coolers in thousands of government schools.
“After fresh spell of monsoon and prediction of more rains in coming days, the government should now revise school timings to its old schedule as it’s getting very difficult for primary students to reach school on time as per new schedule,” said Rizwan Ahmad Khan, a social activist.
Mercury finally drops to below normal
On Wednesday, all weather stations in Kashmir recorded below normal day temperatures.
Srinagar recorded 22.7°C, which is 8 degrees below normal, Qazigund 23.1°C (5.5 degrees below normal), Pahalgam 20.5°C (5.7 degrees below normal) and Gulmarg 15.6°C (6.2 degrees below normal).
Winter capital Jammu recorded a day temperature of 31.4°C, which was also 4 degrees below normal.
Meanwhile, IMD has predicted generally cloudy weather, with intermittent light to moderate rain with thundershower at many places on Thursday.
“Few places of Kashmir and Jammu division may receive intense showers/torrential rain with possibility of heavy rain at isolated places of Jammu division,” the IMD said in its daily bulletin.
The bulletin further said from July 11 to 13, there was possibility of hot and humid weather, with likelihood of light rain/thundershower at scattered places.
