Srinagar, May 23. The latest decision to alter school timing amid an intense heatwave has sparked outrage among parents across Kashmir, who have termed the move as “illogical” and “hazardous” to students’ health. The new directive mandates schools to function from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, precisely when the heatwave advisories warn of maximum heat exposure.
Parents questioned the rationale of sending children home during the most scorching hours of the day, between 12 PM and 4 PM, identified by health and meteorological experts as the peak risk period for heat-related illnesses. “What kind of decision is this? Our children will now be out in the sun at 2:30 PM when the heat is at its worst,” said Irfan Ahmad, a concerned parent from Srinagar.
The decision has further baffled families who point out that many schools were already operating from 8:30 AM. “If schools were already starting early, why create confusion and push the timing to 8:30? It defies both logic and basic weather awareness,” said Shazia Bano, mother of two school-going children.
What has intensified the criticism is that schools located outside municipal limits and in other districts have been instructed to close even later, at 3 PM. “This means rural and semi-urban children will be walking or commuting under a blistering sun when they should be indoors or already home,” a school administrator told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
Experts and parents alike argue that an ideal adjustment would have been to advance the school schedule to 7 AM and end by 12 PM or 1 PM, aligning with common practices in other heatwave-affected states. “That way, students would be back home before the worst of the heat sets in. But here, it seems common sense has taken a backseat,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a retired teacher.
Health officials have repeatedly cautioned against exposing children to extreme midday temperatures, citing the risk of dehydration, heatstroke, and related illnesses. Yet, the current schedule places thousands of students across the Valley in that very danger zone, parents argue.
Despite growing calls for a revision, the administration has so far remained silent on the matter, leaving families anxious and frustrated. “Our children are not guinea pigs for trial-and-error decisions. This needs immediate correction,” said a concerned father of a school going kid. [KNT]
