Kashmir Valley goes back to November academic session till Class IX

The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet — in a major decision — has announced reverting to November academic session for schools in Kashmir up to class IX.

For the past many days, the demand for restoration of the November-December school session in the Valley had grown louder after Jammu and Kashmir got an elected government, with National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah becoming the Chief Minister.

“JKNC government under the Chief Ministership of Omar Abdullah reverts to the November academic session for schools in Kashmir up to 9th grade,” the NC party said on Wednesday.

Omar Abdullah also announced the restoration of the November session on Wednesday. He said for a long time, parents and students in the Valley and in the winter zone of Jammu were demanding restoration of the old system.

He said the School Education Minister Sakeena Masood brought the proposal for the restoration of the November academic session and the Cabinet approved it.

He said that up to class IX, the examination schedule of all students of the Kashmir Valley would now be reverted to the old system and exams would be held in November before the winter vacation.

For classes X, XI and XII, he said it would also be done from next year and board exams would be held before the winter vacation.

“I am hopeful that it will bring relief to the students and their parents,” said Omar Abdullah.

In 2022, during the Central government rule, the L-G administration had shifted the academic school session from November to March. The authorities then said the move is aimed at a uniform academic calendar which would eventually be synchronised with the national academic calendar.

The People’s Democratic Party had expressed support for the restoration of the November-December school session, welcoming it as a necessary reversal of what it termed a “patently retrograde decision.”

Lok Sabha MP from North Kashmir, Engineer Rashid, in a statement recently said that during his visit to Government Degree College in north Kashmir, students had expressed concern about the drawbacks of continuing with the March academic session as it has disrupted their academic rhythm and wasted time.

Subsequently, Masood recently had said that public suggestions would be sought regarding the matter. While chairing her first review meeting of the School Education Department, minister Sakeena Masood had asked department officials to come up with a plan for restoration of the November session in schools.