#Day115: Govt Should Talk To Students, Not Torment Them, says Omar Abdullah

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Omar Abdullah in New York (KL Image Courtesy: http://twitter.com/abdullah_omar)

National Conference Working President and Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday expressed concern over continued stalemate on the issue of deferment of board examinations in the State and said the State Government should talk to the students with an open mind instead of tormenting them.

After meeting various delegations of young students at his residence in Srinagar, the National Conference Working President said the Government should desist from making the issue of holding examinations a point of prestige, an NC statement said this evening.

“Our young students who are in their crucial classes deserve every bit of our empathy and moral support. They are the worst victims of uncertainty and turmoil as a break in their academic pursuits at this junction has a direct bearing on their careers. Unfortunately, the State Government has chosen to browbeat and intimidate the students into complying with their stand on holding the examinations on time despite the loss of almost four months of in-class studies and tutorials. The current unrest has also affected our children psychologically and the Government’s insensitivity is only worsening their plight,” the National Conference Working President said after meeting the students.

Student protest in Sopore on Oct Ist 2016. (KL Image: Muhammad Abu Bakar)

The NC Working President said the students have a fair point in questioning the rationality and fairness of Government holding examinations on time when only around eighty school working days could be conducted as opposed to a minimum standard of around a hundred and eighty school working days that make an academic year.

“The students have not been able to complete their prescribed syllabi as both their schools as well as tutorial classes have been shut and suspended for almost four months now. The curriculum covered in tenth and twelfth standards forms the basis of the curriculum for professional entrance examinations and hence the Government’s offer of curtailing the curriculum covered in these examinations makes no sense and will affect their performance in the entrance examinations in turn,” Omar Abdullah further added.

“While schools are being burnt and the State Government is watching as a mute and helpless spectator, their arrogance on the issue of examinations is baffling if not out rightly ridiculous. When you cannot protect the public education infrastructure in the State, your misplaced sense of confidence in forcing examinations on the students is absurd. The State Government cannot absolve itself of the responsibility of safeguarding the public education infrastructure in the State and the safety of our schools, our teachers and our students has to be ensured at all costs,” the NC Working President said.

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