Srinagar, Mar 2: After a gap of nearly two years and five months, about 13,000 schools in Kashmir region and the winter zone of Jammu division reopened on Wednesday for on-site academic activities.
Kashmir’s schools were originally closed on 5 October 2019 with the scrapping of the Article 370 and division of J&K, which accompanied by about three months of curfew and many more months of Internet shutdown. In March 2020 schools re-opened for a few days to close again following the outbreak of COVID-19 that led to closure of educational institutions across the world.
Some schools in the Kashmir division were again thrown open in March-2021 for higher classes, however, in the first week of April-2021; they were closed again following the surge in COVID-19 cases.
The officials of School Education Department told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that there was a good footfall of students in almost all schools of Kashmir region and winter zones of Jammu division.
Jubilant scenes were seen outside in almost all the schools which reopened today and students were excited to attend the classes physically.
Zahid Riyaz, another school student, said that attending academics physically after a huge gap was joyous as she was able to meet her friends and attend lectures offline.
One of the students, Sabira-Nissa, told KNO. “Online classes were less fruitful to us. Sometimes, the high speed internet blockade added to our miseries. We couldn’t comprehend what was being lectured online as technical cuts always spoiled the very purpose of online lectures.”
“Moreover, remaining confined to four walls only was mentally disturbing the students. We badly needed this opportunity to resume classes’ offline. We hope that there is no untoward incident which would hamper the normal work in schools and other educational establishments,” Zahid Riyaz said.
Teachers and parents were equally upbeat over re-opening of schools.
—(With inputs from KNO)
