Adil Lateef
Srinagar, May 24: In the wake of massive student protests and disruption of academic activities, Education Minister Altaf Bukhari today took a tough stand and ruled any leniency to students in Kashmir in terms of syllabus reduction and mass promotion.
The student protests, which first broke out in the second week of April from Pulwama Degree College, engulfed entire Kashmir during which students including girls clashed with security forces. Due to widespread and unprecedented protests, the Government had to suspend classwork in colleges and schools which resulted in huge disruption of academic activities.
Putting all speculations to rest, the Education Minister Altaf Bukhari today warned students of disallowing them in sitting in examinations if they fall short of attendance.
Addressing an educational conclave organized by private schools at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here, the Minister said unlike last year, when there was five-month long unrest in Valley, there will be no syllabus reduction or mass promotion.
“I appeal students not to take to streets. If they have any grievances, they can raise them within their school premises. But when they come on streets, it becomes a law and order issue for security forces who then intervene to restore peace and normalcy,” he said. The Minister once again wondered over the reason for continuing protests by students.
He said: “There was an incident in Government Degree College Pulwama where action was taken against the police officials for trespassing.
But now why are students protesting, I do not understand. I appeal to them not to be misused by few elements for their vested interests.”
However, the Minister said police have not registered any FIR against the protesting students. “Some students have been detained by police for creating disturbance and they have been counselled after their parents were called to the police stations,” he said and asserted that they don’t want to spoil careers of the students by booking them in law and order related cases.
Since past week, the Education Department toughened its stand against students for repeatedly taking to streets and has announced holding of mid-term exams on time despite the fact that teaching work was heavily affected due to student uprising. An order issued from Director School Education Kashmir in this regard stated that the dates notified for mid-term examination will be followed strictly and under no circumstances any change will be allowed.
The order had also stated that educational institutions will have to certify that 100% syllabus has been covered, even if additional classes have to be organized while it was also ordered that only those candidates will be allowed to sit in the exams who have obtained more than 90% attendance, calculated from the number of classes attended with effect from May 15, 2017 till the notification issued for the examination.
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