Cold weather forces early closure of schools in Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 3 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir government today decided to close all schools in the valley from December 6, ten days ahead of the normal schedule in view of the extreme cold weather conditions.

Director Education Mohammad Rafi told UNI that all government and private schools in the Kashmir valley would close on December 6 for winter vacations. These were earlier scheduled to close on December 15.

The schools would reopen on February 19 next year after a 75-day break, he added.

Mr Rafi said the education department was committed to providing 220 days of teaching to students in the state.

''To ensure that there is no loss of teaching days, we have pre-poned the normal schedule for re-opening of schools in the Kashmir valley. The schools were earlier scheduled to re-open on March 1, but now these would start functioning from February 19 next year,'' he added.

Mr Rafi said the decisions were taken at a high-level meeting here this afternoon.

Several parents had complained that there were no heating arrangements for students in any of the government and private schools in the Kashmir valley.

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