Students return to classes as Kashmir schools reopen
Officials of education dept say attendance ranged from 70% to 100%
SRINAGAR: Schools in the Kashmir Valley reopened on Monday after remaining mostly closed following the nullification of the Constitution’s Article 370 that stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special status in August.
Mohammad Younis Malik, the Union Territory’s school education director, said the attendence ranged from 70% to 100%. “Everybody was happy and the atmosphere was joyous,” Malik said.Private Schools’ Association president G N War said most students attended classes. “Many schools planned activities to interact with students.”
Faheem Ahmad, a class 9 student in Srinagar, said he was excited to return to school. “Staying home for six months was so boring. I am so happy...”
The government announced the reopening of educational institutes in phases last year. But students stayed away from classes first because of a communications blackout and a lockdown that were imposed to preremain vent protests against the nullification of Article 370 and later due to a shutdown when the curbs were eased. The government announced a winter break on December 10.
Mohammad Ishaq, the father of a 13-year-old school-going daughter, said the break was so long that the school shoes his daughter wore six months back do not fit her anymore. “She wore the shoes after months and they were hurting her. I had to rush to a footwear shop in the morning to replace her shoes. That sums up the whole story of education here,” he said.
Athar Ahmad, a teacher and an administrator at a private school in Srinagar said he hoped the situation would continue to normal. “The students suffered a lot during these months. It has happened for the first time that schools remained closed for such a long period.”
Schools, colleges and universities across Kashmir Valley were closed ahead of the nullification that ended provisions that prevented non-residents from buying land and getting jobs in the region. Hundreds of politicians and activists were also detained ahead of the nullification that coincided with Jammu and Kashmir’s split into two Union territories as well. Three former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and Farooq Abdullah, are among the top politicians under continued detention.
Despite no classwork since August, around 76% of students cleared the class 12 and 74.7% class 10 examinations held in October and November. “We had very good results which prove that the students studied very hard and that is why students are enthusiastic about joining classes of the new academic session,” Malik said.