Srinagar, Sep 29 (KNS): The educational institutions in Kashmir have been shut since 5 August 2019 post abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, even though the institutions were later reopened in February 2020, however, they immediately closed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.
Every educational institution in the country was shut for about 18 months following surge in Covid-19 cases, but even after 18 months of school closure, the pandemic is not over and there are least chances of getting it at zero level.
Even though after a gap of 18 months, the government recently allowed reopening of higher educational institutions and schools for classes 10 and 12 with Covid-19 guidelines in place.
The order has been issued keeping in view the upcoming board exams and the practical learning of the students, however, the primary schools in the UT are still shut, which is a matter of concern for students and parents as well, observers said.
They said that the schools in Kashmir have been kept closed by the administration for a prolonged period which has affected the children physically and mentally.
“No doubt the pandemic is highly infectious but administration cannot wait for cases to go to zero level and the reopening schools cannot wait for a longer period now as it is affecting the education and wellbeing of the future generation,” they said.
The observer asked if the administration has issued proper guidelines for reopening of malls, restaurants, colleges , salons, etc, then why not for primary schools.
The parents are also worried about the future of their children as it has been for about two years that the kids in the valley haven’t attended offline classes.
Many parents while talking with Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that the online teaching and the electronic gadgets have affected their kids’ health and mental well being.
“Attending hour long classes and preparing for exams through online modes have affected the eyesight of many children. Many states in the country recently have reopened the primary schools with proper guidelines to be followed. The children who are the future of our society have every right to go to school and to learn which is crucial for their overall development, safety and well being,” the aggrieved parents said.
They expressed their concern over the matter and have urged the administration in J&K to devise a proper mechanism for reopening of the primary schools as well.
“Schools are hub of social activity and human interaction. The closure of schools for this prolonged period have affected the children as they miss out on social contact that is essential for learning and development. The closure of educational institutions has affected our children in every respect due to lack of physical activities,” they said.
Recently, UNICEF has called upon the governments of every country and have urged the governments to reopen schools as soon as possible.
With a hashtag, #Reopenschools , UNICEF in its message to the governments has said that for nearly 77 million children, the pandemic has taken away their classrooms for the past 18 months.
“School children worldwide have lost 1.8 trillion hours and counting of in-person learning due to COVID19 lockdowns.”
UNICEF has urged the worldwide administrations to reopen schools and get education back on track as the present generation of children and youth cannot afford any more disruptions to their education.
Meanwhile, the parents and civil society members have urged the administration to devise some strategy for reopening of schools for lowers classes as well so that the future of these children is secured. (KNS)