Srinagar, March 03: As the school timing in Srinagar was rescheduled due to the construction work going on in the city, many parents are complaining that the children are not getting adequate sleep due to the early school hours.
On the recommendation of the traffic department, the school education department fixed the timing of the schools falling within the city limits from 9am to 2pm.
Considering the move taken by the education department, many parents raised various concerns about the children.
Imran Zahoor said, “The children aged 4-5 has to get up early in the morning to reach school. My kid sleeps in the van before reaching school. He feels sleepy all day and what will he learn?”
Many parents raised concern that the sleep deprived students find it more difficult to concentrate in the class and may also lead to health problems in the long run.
Nelofur, another parent, said the move by the Education Department has come at the cost of children. “The weather is not favorable for the children. They really find it difficult to wake up early in the cold weather. After the winter break, the children are seeing a transition in their daily schedule and are trying to adjust with it but the new school timing has made things worse for them.”
Parents further said that school timings used to be changed from April 1 when the weather gets a bit better.
Atul Kumar, Principal Secretary, Education said that the move has been taken after serious consideration with the traffic department. “There is a lot of construction work going on in the city and the G20 summit is coming. Nobody as a citizen would want disruptions to happen. Repair work is going on all day and night.”
Dr Suhail Naik, senior pediatrician, Department of Pediatrics GMC Srinagar suggested that the parents should help children in inculcating the habit of sleeping early.
“Children should dine early and two hours after dinner they should go to sleep. They should avoid using gadgets and mobile phones before going to bed which can help in having a sound sleep,” he said.
