The formalized winter tutorials that the School Education Department has announced for students in grades 9-12 in Kashmir are not simply an administrative action.
They show a real commitment to equity, excellence and compassion for education.
This proactive action should be applauded and marks an inflection point in the educational path of the region.
While many students can afford to pay for private tutoring or access to online education, many others — especially in rural or low-income areas — have not been able to do so, thus creating an educational gap for them.
Formalizing winter tutorials will allow the School Education Department to close that gap by incorporating winter tutorials into the school year for every student.
As such, every child will have regular access to learning supports, regardless of where they live or their family’s financial means.
In addition, by targeting grades 9-12 as the most critical period in a learner’s educational experience, the winter tutorials program is able to zero in on the exact point in time when students are starting to look toward the future in terms of post-secondary education or entry into the workforce.
The Winter Tutoring Program offers essential academic support to students and provides an opportunity for teachers to assist students with non academic related questions and prepare for the Board Exams.
The purpose of this decision to offer our Youth this program is to show them that we care for them by supporting them in every way possible by being there for them every day.
By providing our Youth with this avenue for success, we can be assured of our ability to remain strong and be resilient as an educational institution while addressing challenges that come with each season.
This program will support and improve student engagement and retention rates, and provide a supportive learning environment during the winter months.
In addition to this, our dedicated teachers will have an opportunity to provide additional support to the students they work with in a structured and innovative manner by providing them with support in smaller groups to help them develop their full potential.
This initiative is an investment in the potential of our students, which will lead to better-educated, skilled, and capable future leaders.
