Srinagar | 07 July 2025 | As schools across Jammu and Kashmir reopen after the summer break, the Jammu and Kashmir Business Confederation (JKBC) has strongly urged the administration and school authorities to ensure that all necessary facilities are in place to protect the health and safety of students amid the prevailing heatwave.
In a statement issued today, JKBC President Mohammad Altaf Dar highlighted the immediate need for:
Adequate cooling arrangements in classrooms (fans/air-conditioners),
Proper ventilation and access to clean drinking water,
Cooling systems in school buses,
Safe and well-organized morning assembly protocols.
He further stressed that uninterrupted electricity supply is crucial to maintain these cooling systems effectively during school hours.
M Altafdar Rajbagh also rejected the policy of charging extra fees from parents for operating air-conditioners or cooling systems in schools.
“This is an unjustified and unacceptable burden on parents. If this move has been directed or approved by the government, it is deeply shameful. Education must not be commercialized at the cost of children’s health,” he said.
The JKBC strongly reiterated that ensuring the safety and comfort of school-going children is a moral and ethical duty of the concerned authorities and institutions.
