Private schools criticise J&K government's decision to postpone exams

Srinagar: An organization of private schools in Kashmir Valley condemned the government's decision to postpone the annual examinations till March next year, terming it a "politically motivated" move and threatened to approach the court on the issue.

"Despite only a small number of schools getting affected, government has put in jeopardy the academic year of all the students.

90 per cent of school students and 80 per cent of all college students remained unaffected during the floods, but government has en masse postponed all the examinations.

This is sheer injustice to the entire student community," G N Var, general secretary Private Schools United Front (PSUF) said in a statement.

Var said by the end of August, all schools had almost completed their syllabus and there was no need to postpone the examinations.

Annual examinations are held in schools in October and November in Kashmir Valley and some parts of Jammu region.

"The syllabus was complete and two term exams were also conducted, so now was the time for (annual) exams only," he said, adding a different approach to deal with the situation was needed.

"There were other options like conducting symbolic exams or considering performance in previous terms for promotion to upper class," he said.

He accused the government of taking up a "politically motivated" decision to benefit just few schools.

"There are some so called elite schools which were destroyed in these floods and to accommodate them, they have simply sacrificed the time and effort of lakhs of poor students," Var said, adding that it was a one-sided political decision and government never consulted any other stake holder like any school association or the parents body.

He said by postponing the exams the government has rendered all the schools "defunct".

"As of now we have finished the entire syllabus at our schools and this government decision has rendered us without any work. It is better the government simply shuts down all educational institutes in the valley as now we have nothing to do at the premises," he said.

The front said the schools were not entirely against the decision but it lacks a rationale.

"Our October session already creates problems for students and they can't compete in various exams like JEE. Now if government would have decided that October session will be replaced with March-April session permanently, then it makes some sense and we may agree," he said.

Var said due to this policy, the current academic session of students would be lost and the next session of students would be very short thus affecting them both ways.

He asked government to come clean on the decision.

"They cannot treat a Nursery student at par with a University student. Sanity demands some change. If they won't modify the decision to accommodate our concerns, then we will approach high court and we have ample evidence to prove our point," he said.