Why The Rush To Reopen Schools?

Despite a blazing heatwave that has paralyzed daily life in the Kashmir Valley, the government has taken the baffling decision to reopen schools from Tuesday, July 8. Education Minister Sakina Itoo’s announcement comes in the face of widespread public concern, with parents, educators, and health professionals urging an extension of holidays. But those appeals have been brushed aside.

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Let’s be clear: this is not just about discomfort. It’s about endangering our school-going children. With temperatures soaring above 37°C, among the highest ever recorded in Kashmir’s July history, the government is forcing children, including nursery and kindergarten students, to travel in the heat, sit in stifling classrooms with no ACs, and then attend online classes at home after barely a one-hour break. That’s not what serves the purpose of education.