The heat wave occurring right now in Kashmir has led to a very timely and rational response by the Jammu and Kashmir government to consider moving the school summer vacations to July-01-2025.
The advance proposal action to move the summer break (likely) ahead in response to the distress caused by extreme hot weather to students, parents and Chief Administrators of schools is indicative of a government showing responsible leadership and a willingness to challenge thorny issues about the welfare of their people.
The unbearable hot weather in the Valley has begun to erase the capabilities of students to actually learn. Many students are spending their days in school in conditions we in education deem unsuitable. Students are in classes that do not represent cooling conditions; students are in classrooms that do represent hot weather and students cannot always focus on learning based on those conditions.
The issues faced by students and the extreme hot weather situations typically affects academic performance and creates opportunities for students and faculty to endure physical ailments associated with health issues, namely dehydrated and heat exhausted.
Moving and potentially creating an early summer break is an action taken by government as they properly contemplated the operations and realities of confronting all existing Stakeholders in their considered best interests for the safety and ideas of the students and teachers.
Discussions about changing summer-vacation break dates gained momentum since parents and education leaders began to share the challenges of dealing with extreme heat.
Conversations now recognize that a true balanced academic calendar needs to heed much more than the hottest temperature spikes.
Changing the break around is an important, practical format for schools to think about what works for learning rather than suffering through discomfort and risk to health.
Changing the break will also establish a foundation for local governance, where locally governed education means local rules, not bottom-up deadlines. Once the change has been instituted, students will receive an early opportunity to relax and recover before the next term.
With climate patterns changing, there is need for flexible, caring policy that protects learners while utilizing education. We are only waiting for an official government announcement, which will provide relief to thousands of hopeful students.
