Winter vacation in Kashmir schools from Dec 17

Srinagar, Dec 13: The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced a two-month-long winter vacation in all educational institutions starting from December 17 following heavy snowfall on upper reaches resulting in severe cold.

An official announcement said here today that all government and private schools in the Kashmir division would observe winter vacation from December 17 this year till February 16, 2008.

However, Leh and Kargil district of Ladakh region will be excluded, it said.

Following severe cold because of minus temperature, the authorities had announced winter vacation in all classes up to middle from first week of this month.

The first term examinations in these classes were also postponed and will now be conducted when the schools reopen after winter vacation.

However, examinations to different higher classes continued despite protests by students that there was no heating arrangement in the examination halls.

UNI