Schools reopen in Srinagar, but students don’t turn up

The attempts of administration to reopen primary schools in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley on Monday failed to achieve desired results as none of the students attended the classes while teachers were seen reporting in the morning at some places.

Reports said many of the schools had their gates shut after opening in the morning. “Some staff members came, but no students turned up. After some time the staffers also left,” a teacher at one of the schools told DH.

However, reports said, a handful of students from Police Public School at Bemina and a few Kendriya Vidyalayas reported to their schools. On Saturday authorities had planned to open schools up to primary level and make all government offices functional from Monday.

“We have opened 196 primary schools out of 900 in Srinagar areas after reviewing security there. We appeal to parents to send their children wherever schools have been reopened. Security is our responsibility,” Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal said.

Director School Education, Kashmir Younis Malik said there was nil to thin attendance of students across the valley, although staff members turned in numbers.

While questioning the decision to reopen schools in the prevailing situation, the parents alleged that the government was trying to make children as scapegoats to show normalcy has returned. “If normalcy has returned, why the government is reluctant to lift restrictions and restore communication links. They are camouflaging the situation,” said Shahid Dar, a parent.
“There is so much uncertainty in the situation that sending kids to school at this stage is out of the question,” he added.

Reports said the attendance in most of the offices in Srinagar also remained thin as employees were unable to report to their duties due to restrictions imposed by the government and stone-pelting incidents in several areas.

Though barricades were removed from some areas in Srinagar city where the situation remained peaceful since the Centre announced the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and