Efforts on to reopen schools, colleges in J&K
Lieutenant-governor Girish Chandra Murmu has asked the administration to prepare a plan to reopen schools, colleges and other institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, as continuous closure of these institutions has brought the entire academic calendar in disarray.
With no direction from the Supreme Court for the restoration of 4G services and intermittent snapping of even 2G services due to security operations, the J&K administration is trying to reopen schools, colleges and universities in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to compensate for academic losses to the students. Senior officials in the administration told this newspaper that they were seriously looking for ways and means to open educational institutions so that students can get the required education, while the SOPS are adhered to during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, Principal Secretary, School Education, told a local newspaper that he has already ordered completion of renovation of government-run schools by the end of May. He was quoted as saying that he has plan to reopen schools in Kashmir valley in the first week of June. Already, government-run schools are getting virtual classes, teleclasses, and radio lectures in this pandemic lockdown and classes are going on. Private schools and educational institutions are conducting virtual classes, but due to the non-availability of 4G services, there are disruptions. A senior official in the higher education department told this reporter that recently Lieutenant-governor Murmu gave directions to bureaucrats to look for ways and means to reopen educational institutions in the coming weeks. He said that although some officers were very keen to restart schools in the first week of June, it may take more days to prepare the blueprint of how to avoid assembly of students and maintain social distance while reopening these schools. Official sources said that in colleges and universities, classes would be held in shifts and there would be complete social distancing after they are reopened. Kashmir Private Schools Association Head Dr Ghulam Nabi Var said they have discussed a plan with the government to reopen schools as 4G services would not be restored for virtual classes.