Decorated with buntings and balloons, schools in Kashmir wore a festive look on Wednesday as children donned uniforms after a gap of over 900 days. Most educational institutes, by and large, remained closed in the Valley from August 5, 2019, when the Centre ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional position, and then due to the subsequent twin waves of Coronavirus in 2020 and 2021. The staff at the Kothi Bagh Girls Higher Secondary School, Srinagar, put up decorations and offered chocolates to students. “It felt like a family reunion today. It was heart-warming to meet the students again. I must admit that a class room setting cannot be replaced by the online platforms,” a teacher, at the school, said. It was a day of pep talks at the Government Boys Higher Secondary, Nawakadal, in the old city. The students were asked to narrate COVID-related experiences. “Narrating personal stories helped them to unburden emotionally. The staff dedicated the first day to motivational speeches. Teachers will have to put in extra efforts to ensure that students return to the classroom setting sooner,” Qural-ul-Ain Qureshi, a teacher at the Nawakadal higher secondary, said. An official said the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir, has asked the teachers “to break the ice with the students in the first week and focus more on playful and fun activities”. The Kashmir valley has around 10,851 schools, including 5,710 primary and 3,894 middle schools. With around 6.5 lakh students admitted in schools, Kashmir did see a dip of around two percent in school enrolment due to the pandemic. The prolonged closure also resulted in the laying off the staff, including teachers and drivers. “School drivers have suffered the most in the past 31 months. They were without salaries,” Private Schools Association of J&K president G.N. Var said. Mr. Var said the schools saw emotional scenes on day one. “Both students as well as teachers could not hold their tears. Deserted classrooms have gotten a new lease of life with students. The schools have decided to evaluate and address psychological, behavioural and attitudinal issues of the students in the first phase,” Mr. Var said. The J&K government has made it mandatory for the staff and the students above 12 years to get vaccinated.’‘
‘Strict vigil’
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioners across the Valley have been tasked to regulate re-opening of educational institutes and ensure peaceful situation. An official said teams have been constituted in several districts “to maintain strict vigil”. The heads of institutions, at sensitive locations, have been directed “to ensure that outsiders are not allowed inside the campus and CCTV were installed on the campuses”.
