Srinagar: After remaining closed for about a year due to Coronavirus pandemic, all degree colleges reopened on Monday in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir amid strict COVID-19 guidelines put in place by the government.
Students were being screened at the entrance of their respective colleges and only youth wearing facemasks were allowed into the premises. Most of the colleges have made adequate arrangements for adherence of COVID-19 protocol, including availability of hand sanitizers at the entrances of the institutions.
However, the educational institutes witnessed partial attendance even as many parents expressed concern over the safety of their children in view of COVID-19 pandemic.
All educational institutes, including schools, colleges and universities, operated barely for two weeks in the 2020 academic session before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a country-wide lockdown bringing life to a grinding halt.
“We are very happy that our regular classes have started after over a year. We have lost a lot in terms of academics in 2019 due to unrest post abrogation of special status of J&K and then in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic,” Shazia, a Women’s college student, said.
She said she is very excited to meet her friends and teachers, whom she hadn’t seen for a very long time.
“Besides education, we also missed on extracurricular activities, including sports, which is an important aspect of overall development of a student,” Shazia said.
She hoped that the current academic session passes off without any problem so that students can work to fulfill their dreams. Similar views were expressed by other students.
Officials said the physical class work for students in Kashmir colleges resumed on Monday. “Even though attendance was not 100 per cent, we are hopeful that full attendance will be achieved in coming days after the parents are satisfied with the arrangements which have been put up in colleges”.
They said sanitization of college premises and other precautionary measures have already been taken care of by the Education Department.
All the educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, in J&K were closed in March last year in view of COVID-19 outbreak.