Srinagar: With upper primary classes set to resume from Monday, the parents are worried about sending their wards to the schools after several teachers or staff have so far tested positiv for deadly COVID-19 in last one week.
Notably, Jammu and Kashmir is one among the States and Union Territories, where offline classes resumed after one year of pandemic. Bihar, Meghalaya, Haryana are also among the States where offline classes have resumed.
The varsities and colleges have already reopened in Jammu and Kashmir while high and higher secondary level schools are reopened from March 01.
The parents have raised questions about starting the offline classes at a time when the pandemic still exists and affect nearly 100 people per day.
They said soon after the colleges, high and higher secondary schools were reopened, many cases of COVID-19 were detected in the educational institutions here, thus causing worry among the parents about the wellbeing of their wards.
“Several States are still going ahead with the online classes. One fails to understand why the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are in a hurry rush to reopen the schools for physical classes,” they said.
They added that it seems attending classes where huge gathering of students will be recorded, would be risky and may infect many people including the students,” they said, adding that the major Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to ensure no mass gathering is allowed, but with the reopening of schools, the gathering is inevitable.
Sources in the education department, meanwhile said that the decision to reopen the primary and upper primary classes in phased manner was taken in wake of the COVID cases in the schools.
However, a top official said Precious Kashmir that they haven’t received any complaint or even a phone from any parent in this regard so far.
“Some elements are out to create panic for their vested interests. The situation is not like what is being pretended,” he said, adding that the situation is being monitored while teams have been formulated by the government for testing facility for students and staff as well.
