Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 25: School Education Department’s decision to extend the winter vacation till March 4 in view of the weather forecasts has drawn public censure.
Director School Education Mir Tariq Ali said the vacation has been extended till March 4 up to Class 8 in all the private and Government schools across the Valley.
“We have decided to extend the vacation after Meteorological Department predicted bad weather till March 4,” Ali said, claiming some parents have also appealed to him to extend the vacation.
However, the decision has drawn flak from public who believe that the decision has been influenced by bureaucratic pressure.
“The winter vacation has not been extended for school children, but for the spouses of the officals who are in winter capital Jammu. These decisions are always taken for bureaucratic largesse,” said Wajahat Ahmad, a parent.
Ahmad said being a parent he would never prefer that his children stay home for more time after three months winter holidays.
The Met Department officials said they do not have issued predictions of bad weather for the month of March.
A weather forecast on a website (Accuweather.com) has forecasted slight rain in the first week of March, but has shown a rise in temperature.
Refuting the charges that the decision was influenced by any bureaucratic pressure, Ali said people look at only plain areas like Srinagar.”We have to keep those children from remote and hilly areas like Kupwara, Shopian, and others in mind. These areas receive snow immediately after some change in weather,” he said.
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