Srinagar, July09: Parents of students enrolled in primary schools throughout the Kashmir valley have urged Education Minister Sakina Ittoo and the School Education Department of J&K to establish appropriate school timings for primary level students.Zubair Ahmad, a parent, informed Rising Kashmir that he has two young children studying in LKG and 2nd grade at a private school in Srinagar. Since the Jammu and Kashmir Government set the school timings for all schools in Srinagar from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM starting Tuesday, it has adversely affected the health of both his children, who must leave home before 6:00 AM while the people are still asleep.”The school timings established by the Government have posed significant challenges for parents and their young children, making it difficult to send them to school during the early morning hours,” he said.”Most students in primary classes are encountering numerous difficulties in getting ready for school and reaching on time within a short period,” he added.Afshana Gulzar, another parent from the Budgam district said that the government must revise the school timings for students from Nursery to 5th grade. She emphasized the need for new timings that would alleviate the issues faced by these students following the recent changes in school schedules across the Kashmir valley.”The Government should take all factors into account and establish new timings that would prevent students from experiencing any difficulties in attending their classes according to the revised school hours,” said.Afshana said that it is the responsibility of every school to offer adequate facilities to students throughout the year, enabling them to attend classes daily in all seasons.Parents have called upon the Jammu and Kashmir Government to address the issue and make appropriate decisions concerning the new school timings across the Kashmir valley.Meanwhile, Education Minister, Sakina Itoo said that the decision regarding change in school timing post summer break is likely to be reviewed in view of the weather forecast and feedback from parents.
