Srinagar, Aug 3: Jammu and Kashmir Government might be often beating the drum of ‘delinking education from politics’ but the charity still seems to begin from home. This time around, it is politics over the extension of summer vacation in the Valley schools, with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) and the Civil Secretariat “locking horns” over the issue. The students, meanwhile, are suffering in the process.
On Friday, the DSEK sparked off a high drama over the summer vacation extension. When a number of scribes called the Director School Education Kashmir, asking him if the vacations were extended, he was candid to reply: “Yes, there would be vacations till August 13.” In the public interest, the scribes were quick to ensure uploading of the news on their respective web portals to ensure that the people come to know about the much-awaited development. But the Director’s assurance soon turned to be a hoax, with a few concerned bureaucrats in civil secretariat ringing up newspaper offices to discard the DSEK assurance.
While the hoax triggered chaos and confusion, especially on the social networking sites, rumours flew across Kashmir later that the government is considering vacations up to class 8th from August 6 to August 13—which the government didn’t even respond to. According to sources, DSEK had mooted the proposal for extension in vacations. But the proposal reportedly was turned down by the Chief Minister, who is also looking after education portfolio.
“Chief Minister turned down the proposal when he came to know about premature leaking of the news by DSEK in the press,” sources privy to the development told Greater Kashmir.
Meanwhile, children are suffering due to sweltering heat wave conditions in the Valley. On Friday, a number of private and government school children rang up Greater Kashmir office asking reporters to urge the government to go for vacations.
“We are suffering. Nobody is listening to us,” said a group of students. “The Government cannot be so indifferent to the suffering of students.”

Lastupdate on : Fri, 3 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 3 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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