Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir government has started hectic deliberations over the issue of re-opening of schools in the Union Territory in the wake of Center’s direction to submit a proposal whether schools can be re-opened in J&K amid COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials in the J&K administration revealed that the Centre has asked the UT government to submit a detailed proposal whether schools can be re-opened in J&K amid COVID-19 challenge.
Notably, since last one year—August 5, 2019 to August 5, 2020, all educational institutions across Kashmir have remained shut, first due to the abrogation of Article 370 and slicing of erstwhile state into two UTs and followed by the lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed 457 lives in J&K so far.
Kashmir has borne the maximum brunt of COVID-19 as the region alone has witnessed 425 COVID-19 related deaths.
Talking exclusively with NVI, J&K LG’s advisor on education affairs, Kewal Kumar Sharma said that the Government of India has asked the J&K government for the inputs on whether schools could be re-opened. “We are holding deliberations over the issue. So far nothing has been discussed as consultations with various stakeholders and officials are on,” Sharma said.
While majority of parents in Kashmir have stated that they can’t take risks by sending their wards to the schools at a time when pandemic is at its peak.
“We record 500 to 600 positive cases every day, majority of whom are from Srinagar, the capital city. We won’t send our children to schools till the pandemic goes away,” said Adil Rashid, whose two kids study in Delhi Public School, Srinagar. He said the majority of parents whose children study in various schools in Srinagar city, are of the belief that sending children to schools at this juncture would be dangerous for the kids.
“It is better to study at home through Zoom classes rather than inviting trouble. What if my son transmits a virus in school. When he would come home, he would spread to others, it would be a disaster then,” said Fehmeeda, whose son studies in an elite school in Srinagar.
She also urged the government to keep the present studies model intact rather than ordering for re-opening of schools. “Kids can become potential carriers of COVID-19. So better to keep schools shut,” she said in an appeal to LG’s advisor Sharma.
Pertinently, the majority of top notch private schools of Kashmir are located in Srinagar district alone that include Delhi Public School, Tyndle Biscoe School, Burhan Hall, Mallesons, Oasis etc.
-RJV
