Preparations are underway to open educational institutions in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir soon. The school has been closed for the last two years due to the situation arising out of Corona. After the second wave stopped, the government had opened colleges and universities about five months ago. Along with this, instructions were given to set up classes X and XII with fifty per cent capacity, but at the beginning of January, when the third wave of Corona reached its peak, all educational institutions were closed.
Cases of corona infection were reported in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Jammu University and Central University. Due to this, these institutions were closed in a hurry. Now that the decrease in corona cases has started rapidly, schools have been opened in many states. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has said that after reviewing the situation of Corona after fifteen days, a decision will be taken to open the schools.
It is expected that the institutes will be opened in a phased manner. Higher educational institutions, including universities, colleges, polytechnic colleges, will be opened first. Along with this, schools will be opened from Higher Secondary class IX to Class XII. It is expected that educational institutions will be opened in late February or early March. Its decision will be taken by the State Executive Committee of the Disaster Management Department, which the Chief Secretary heads. Usually, every week, the committee reviews the situation of Corona.
Amidst the challenge of Corona and the closure of educational institutions, Jammu University, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University has decided to conduct online examinations, but there is no decision regarding schools. Exams are to be held in March. The eyes of the children and their parents are on the opening of the schools. The school management is yet to decide whether to take the examinations online or offline.
Kamal Gupta, president of the Private School Association Jammu, says that when schools have opened all over the country, why is there a delay in Jammu and Kashmir. We demand that schools be opened in the first phase in February from class VIII to class XII. In the second phase, schools should be opened for all classes from class VI onwards, and after that, the situation becomes completely normal. We endeavour to take offline examinations from class VIII till onwards. Education has already been affected a lot.
