Schools open in Kashmir; govt open to re-adjust school timings: J&K education minister

Hindustan Times

09-07-2025

Schools across Kashmir opened on Tuesday after 15-day summer vacation even as education minister Sakina Itoo said that they are again looking into changing the school timings. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah with state education minister Sakina Itoo during workers convention in Kulgam on Tuesday. (PTI)
From early morning, the students rushed to their schools amid relatively pleasant weather conditions owing to heavy rains on Monday evening which brought relief in the heatwave prevailing in the region for the past over a month.
'The school started on a pleasant note. The weather was good and we also returned early as the schools closed before noon,' said Ansha Bilal, a Class 7 student in central Kashmir.
The government had 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.
Talking to the media on Tuesday, education minister Sakina Itoo said that the decision to stick to the new timings was not final. 'The schools opened today. However, I got many calls about the change in timings. These new timings are not final. If we think that it needs further modification, we can do that. The decision is not yet final,' she said.
'If people are demanding for a change in timings, we will adjust that demand. People need not to worry- neither the parents nor the students,' she said.
However, the minister was concerned about the completion of the syllabus. 'Our issue is that students have to complete the syllabus for the November (exam) session. That is why we are concluding the vacations so that students can study and complete the syllabus. It is mid July already and we have just two months left after which exams will start from October. The effort is that the students of J&K study well and shine across the country,' she said.
The weather experts say that the weather this season has been unusually hot owing to less snowfall in winter, dry weather in spring and absence of monsoon moisture currents over Kashmir in summer.
Itoo had said on Monday that the students will also be imparted online classes once they reach home with the exception of primary (1 to 5) classes.
Parents also questioned about the efficacy of online classes. 'These decisions seem to be made in AC rooms, without considering the real challenges faced by both faculty and students,' said Afshan Ashai.
However, the J&K private schools association, which has been advocating for early morning school timings, stated that the high temperatures were global phenomena which should not prompt schools to close. The association said that its suggestion to start schools as early as 6 am or 7 am was not arbitrary but aligns with models already practised in several hotter Indian states and across the world.