It’s premature to decide, will take a call at an appropriate time: Secy JKBOSE
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir government is weighing a possible “proportionate cut” in the syllabus for the current academic session to compensate for the loss of study time due to repeated disruptions in schools caused by recent flash floods and border tensions during Operation Sindoor earlier this year.
Official sources told The News Now that the proposal was “under consideration” after the Directorate of School Education Jammu (DSEJ) recently wrote to the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE), seeking academic concessions for students hit by prolonged school closures and a disrupted academic calendar.
The move follows feedback from Chief Education Officers (CEOs) across Jammu, who unanimously suggested a reduction of syllabus up to 15–20 percent to compensate for the prolonged study losses to students twice this year.
“Instead of deleting specific topics which could create disparities, as different schools have covered different portions, the DSEJ has proposed granting relief by offering open choice in examinations. According to the communication, this would ensure uniformity, reduce stress, and improve comprehension, retention, and mental well-being of students,” sources said.
The proposal aligns with Minister for Education Sakina Masood Itoo’s recent assurance that the government is exploring ways to address syllabus losses, taking inputs from students, parents, and the wider public.
When contacted, JKBOSE Secretary Ghulam Hassan Sheikh said it was premature to make a decision. “It might be considered at an appropriate time. The session is still in progress, and we will only know the shortfall, if any, in due course. We still have two to three months left. As of now, no request from DSEJ is in my knowledge,” Sheikh said.
Pertinently, schools in the Jammu region have remained shut twice this year—first for over two weeks in May during border escalations following the Pahalgam killings, and later after flash floods, which again forced closures for nearly two weeks.
Jammu has a 198-km international border–from Kathua, bordering Punjab, to Akhnoor, north of Jammu–is manned by the BSF. There were over 800 schools within a radius of 0-5 km in border villages, which remained closed due to shelling from across the border. The number of students studying in these schools was between 50,000 to 60,000.
Sources said there were nearly 130 schools along the International Border (IB) in Samba district, while Jammu district has around 250 such schools in its border areas. Similarly, more than 250 schools are situated along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, and over 80 in Rajouri. In Kathua district, the number of schools within a 0–5 km radius of the IB stands at over 50. All these schools were also affected during the border tension.
During recent flash floods, as many as 61 school buildings were affected due to flash floods and heavy rainfall in Kathua district. Four buildings were fully damaged. Similarly, nearly 50 schools reported damages in Samba district. Jammu district too witnessed heavy damage to school infrastructure.
