There exists widespread resentment in Kashmir and Jammu up against the school education department after it recently expressed the government’s ‘intention’ to reopen schools in mid-June amid the coronavirus pandemic.
After backlash, the administration stated how the instructions were issued just to ensure sanitization of school premises because of Covid-19 and not to open up schools.
Parents of school students in Kashmir are aghast, many claim that your choice is not only idiotic and can prove extremely dangerous, putting children’s lives at risk.
“What may be the logic of opening schools when every single day over 100 folks are testing positive for Covid-19. Even markets and shops are still closed. Just how can we put the lifetime of our kids in risk,” said Ateeqa Begum, 45, mother of three school-going children.
“Are the officials okay with making our kids soft targets? It appears some officials want to score some points for own benefits,” she said.
On Monday, School Education Department’s Director Finance in a communiqué stated how the ‘government promises to re-open schools in mid of June’ and asked the concerned authorities to make certain all safety precautions to arrest the spread of coronavirus among students and teachers.
“In this connection, necessary instructions can be circulated to the heads of all government schools to provide a couple of reusable mask and a pair of hand gloves to every single student and make sure accessibility to bulk hand sanitiser and liquid soap dispenser at the access point for each school,” the communication, sent to directors of school education of Kashmir and Jammu divisions stated.
People on social media marketing were also wary of your decision which will come at a time when the volume of Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir has crossed 2,700 as well as the death toll has reached 33.
“Reopening of schools is just not as elementary as it is actually created to appear. One important thing is obvious, parents will never risk the lives of the children by sending these people to schools in the center of the worsening coronavirus crisis, irrespective of how much “academic loss” it requires or whatever it implies,” said Faheem Aslam, a Srinagar resident.
“While babus are out with circulars suggesting reopening of Kashmir schools this month, they may be mum on explaining the rationale behind rushing through the choice to the anguished parents… Expecting school children to carry out social distancing and follow safety protocols, when top officers and doctors are falling prey towards the deadly virus, is absolutely nothing but idiocy,” he said.
Calls to commissioner secretary education Asgar Samoon and director school education Younis Malik went unanswered. Advisor to Lt Governor, KK Sharma said in a statement mentioned that J&K government has not yet taken any decision to look at schools on June 15. “However instructions happen to be issued to schools to make certain sanitization of school premises in view of Covid 19,” he was quoted saying.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, said within a tweet he has asked the J&K administration to defer the choice of opening schools. “Have spoken to #JammuAndKashmir UT Government and suggested that decisions regarding 1) Vehicle Registeration Tax and two) Reopening of schools could be deferred,” he tweeted.
