Govt schools sans heating arrangements Parents demand extension in winter vacation BHADARWAH MAR 05-- When there is no respite from the chilled weather in whole Chenab valley and weather department had already predicted that the coming days will be more harsh as western disturbances have entered in , but instead of continuous chilled weather and snow fall in many parts of the Doda ,Kishtwar ,Bhadewrah ,Marwah ,Marwah ,Dessa ,Marmath ,Banihal ,Batote and other parts of the Chenab valley state Education department announce reopening of all schools from March 01 but extended the winter holidays for Kashmir valley knowing the fact that winter conditions are same in winter zone of Jammu division .Now as the Chenab valley reels under intense cold wave, government schools continue to operate without any heating arrangements.Students from various government schools in and around Bhaderwah ,Kishtwar ,Bhalessa and other far off areas complain of non-availability of heating arrangements. Students shiver in their classrooms due to cold, disabling them to concentrate on their lessons. Teachers too face a similar fate.“We have yet to get any heating arrangement. It is getting very difficult to work,” said , a school teacher in Bhaderwah in the condition of anonymity . He said students and teachers are suffering tremendously in absence of heating arrangement arrangement as there is also lack of desks and windows in schools and cold entered in school .“We have to spend the whole day in cemented rooms without any heating system. Government is being very insensitive,” said a government school teacher from Bhalessa to this media person ..Major problem is being faced by the students who do not even have proper seating arrangement. In most of the government schools, students have to sit on mats on cemented floor in this chilly weather.“I get pain in my legs every day as it is severely cold in my class room. Students don’t want to come to school,” said Bablu from a government middle school in Doda district .He said the attendance of the students is affected in absence of heating arrangement.“We do not always get heating arrangement. We face this scenario every winter.”Students from the leading government schools share similar complaints. “The windows of our class rooms are broken. Chilly winds sweep into the class room. We do not like attending the class at all,” said a student from Middle school in Bharath, Doda .The scenario in the rural areas is worst as schools even lack proper classrooms.“We have to ask our students to come wearing pheran because it is extremely cold since October. Sometimes students get Kangri from home and share it with the class. We never get heating arrangements,” said a teacher from a middle school in Dessa ..Teachers from many primary schools in the Marwah and Dachin of KIshtwar said that the students stop coming to school with the onset of winter fearing cold.“When we do not have proper facilities for classrooms or heating arrangements, students don’t come. They are small kids and tend to fall sick quickly.”Parents also complained of their children taking ill due to uncomfortable atmosphere at schools. They say they are forced not to send their children to school.They have demanded extension in winter vacations due to severe cold weather conditions.The minimum temperature of the Chenab valley has dropped upto -4 degree Celsius and it can be further dropped in the coming days according to the weather experts.Gagu of Bhaderwah , a parent said, “I have not sent my children to the school due to cold weather conditions as it will be difficult for them to study in the classrooms without facility of heaters”.The authorities concerned must extend the winter vacation for another week keeping in view the problems faced by the children and their parents, he added .
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:39:30 +0000