Torturing the posterity
The government officials in Kashmir are known for taking decisions that are against the people’s interests. One such irrational decision that hit the people hard was issued by the Directorate of School Education Kashmir on Monday when a decision to revise the school timing from May 01 was announced.
The DSEK order changed the timings of Government and Private Schools which came into effect from today. As per the new timing, the schools within the Srinagar Municipal limits shall be functional from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm while as the schools outside Srinagar Municipal limits will be functional from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm.
Interestingly, the change in the school timing coincides with the Durbar Move from Jammu to Srinagar as the offices are supposed to resume work from May 07 in the summer capital here.
The new school timing was issued, as the Director School education put it, because the same practice was followed last year and he simply followed it.
This argument in itself is so pathetic and bereft of any logic that that it tells upon the very credentials and the thinking capacity of the official concerned. Issuing an order without even thinking about its repercussions is in itself a violation of service rules and being non-committal towards ones job and responsibility.
The previous top boss in the DSEK from whom the incumbent took over was known for his inaction and it was his inability to deal with the department that almost all the decisions taken during his tenure backfired and set a very bad example about governing one of the biggest and important departments of the state.
The decision to change the school timings hits the biggest chunk of population in Kashmir valley. Not only the parents but the prime party affected by the decision is the kids who have to bear the follies of the officials. The decision was taken without even bothering to take the major stake holders on board and was issued just to impress and help the bureaucratic setup who wish to treat all the operations of the administration as a matter of rights and privileges.
The order in question has put a tremendous mental and physical strain on the school going boys and girls especially the kindergarten kids who have to be up and ready by 5.30 in the morning to prepare for early departure to school.
Imagine a three year old kid waking up and at 5.30 and trying to address his biological needs and requirements just to satisfy a foolish government order. Imagine how his performance will be affected in the school as well, as he will not be able to concentrate on his studies and other curricular activities.
The decision reflects the ill understanding of the officials as the Valley has not even set itself in spring mode owing to changed weather patterns. Even yesterday the day time temperature was hovering around 17 degrees Celsius and the morning temperature when the kids have been asked to report in their schools does not even cross 10 degrees Celsius. This weather patter will hold for the days to come as well.
This is quite ironic that the officials at the DSEK are treating our posterity with disdain and spiteful outlook. The kids for whom the department has to frame policies and other programmes are our future and the way the department is treating them conveys that they are hell bent to destroy our future.
We as a responsible society and the officials in the DSEK have to come over the inability to think logically and scientifically. The present age is the age of reason and logic and we need to prove that by our actions.
KV Network
