Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar, July 7, KNT: The latest decision by Jammu and Kashmir’s Education Minister, Sakina Itoo, to make 2-hour online classes mandatory for school students in Kashmir, after attending physical classes in the morning, has sparked a wave of outrage among parents, medical professionals, and education experts alike.
The minister today announced a revised school schedule in view of the prevailing heatwave, introducing a blended model that includes two hours of online classes after a one-hour break at home. While the move is framed as an academic necessity, the fallout has been immediate and intense.
A number of parents called the news agency Kashmir News Trust throughout the day, voicing strong opposition to what many described as an “illogical” and “damaging” decision. “On the one hand, we are told to keep our children away from mobile phones, and on the other, we are now forced to hand them the very devices we are trying to protect them from,” said Shazia Yousuf, a parent from the uptown area of Srinagar.
Another concerned father from Pulwama noted, “We just got our child to stop spending excessive time on the phone after COVID-19 lockdowns. This decision will revive their addiction, and it is being imposed in the name of education.”
Medical professionals also weighed in. Pediatricians and mental health experts have long cautioned about the harmful impact of prolonged screen exposure on children’s eyesight, mental development, and sleep patterns. “We are already seeing the long-term consequences of post-COVID screen addiction in children. Pushing them back into phones, just because it’s hot, is shortsighted and harmful,” said a senior pediatrician at a Srinagar hospital, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Critics argue that the minister’s move essentially shifts the burden to parents, who are now under pressure to provide Android phones to their children, regardless of financial capability or personal reservations. “How can a labourer or a low-income family manage a smartphone and data plan for every child in the household?” asked Fayaz Ahmad, a teacher from Budgam.
The COVID pandemic, which normalized online learning, had already caused serious concern among parents as children became hooked to devices for both classes and recreation. Many families spent the last two years trying to reverse that trend, only to see it potentially resurface due to this fresh directive.
Ironically, the same government officials and education experts who once launched campaigns to curb screen time for children are now mandating it under a new format. There appears to be little consideration of the psychological, physiological, and economic toll this might take on families.
Calls are mounting for the Education Department to rethink the decision and consider alternative ways of ensuring learning continuity without pushing students further into digital dependency. Social media is abuzz asking the Education Department to revisit this controversial decision. [KNT]
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