Valley students at receiving end yet again

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 21

Like last year, students have had to bear the brunt of the protests in the Valley. As a result, they have been able to complete only 50 per cent of the syllabus in the last six months.

The classwork in the Valley started after a three-month winter break in March, however, just after a month, student protests across the region affected work in schools and colleges for more than two weeks.

To contain the protests, the government ordered closure of schools for 17 days from April 15 to June 2.

“We have been able to complete only 50 per cent of the syllabus in six months. We have only two months to complete the rest of the syllabus as the exams are approaching,” said Mehreen Jan, a student of Class XI.

In 2016, the students lost six precious academic months to the unrest. All educational institutions remained shut following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July. Burhan’s killing in an encounter with security forces triggered widespread protests across the Valley, affecting the education sector badly.

“Our studies were badly affected last year. No exam took place and we were given mass promotion. This year, I am preparing for my Class XII exam, but the situation has not been favourable. We have not been able to complete the syllabus so far,” said Arif Ahmad, a student from Shopian district, which has been in news for militancy-related incidents since the beginning of this year.

The students protests spread across the Valley after police use force against students of Government Degree College, Pulwama, on April 15. Students of the college were protesting setting up of a security checkpost outside the college.

To plug the protests, the government frequently ordered closure of schools and colleges this year. The protests, however, affected the academic work.

Minister of Education Syed Altaf Bukhari recently said that 100 per cent syllabus should be completed even if it requires holding additional classes.

The official records in schools show that classes could be held only for 50 days from March to July 1 this year.

The government also announced summer vacation in schools from July 6 to 17, a period that coincided with the death anniversary of Burhan Wani.

As the annual exams will be held in October, the students are struggling to complete their syllabus.

Officials of the Department of Education, while acknowledging that the syllabus had not been completed yet, said that if needed, they would hold additional classes to compensate the losses.