SRINAGAR: Along the MA Road in Srinagar, the decision-makers in education glide smoothly in their cars, and have announced the resumption of school routine. Monday, they declare, will mark the resumption of routine in schools after the prolonged winter break.
Yet, as they speak, the land lies cloaked in varying degrees of snow. North Kashmir finds itself buried beneath layers of white, with Gurez submerged under a staggering seven feet and Lolab in Kupwara merely beneath six inches. Even the southern plains, typically snow-free, harbour remote pockets nestled at the foothills of Pir Panchal, where snow accumulates in silent abundance. Doodhpathri belt, which falls in central Kashmir Budgam, witnessed fresh almost two feet of snow accumulation between the intervention night of March 2 and March 3.
“I am directed to convey all the HOI’S of HSS, HS, MS, PS and KGBV to welcome the students on the first day of reopening of schools after Winter Vacations,” Chief Education officer in one of the Kashmir districts posted on internal WhatsApp group. “School premises be cleaned and decorated to welcome the students and whole teaching & non-teaching staff must be ready with smiling faces in the school lawns for the warm welcome of students.”
The information further said that a Google ink is being shared with the members of the group comprising heads of schools to share the information and “one photo graph of the occasion before 11:30 am for onward submission to District Administration and DSEK”.
Amidst this wintry tableau, earlier the Directorate of School Education Kashmir on February 29, extended the winter vacation for school children by two more days, bracing for the impending onslaught of heavy snowfall. Schools as per that order are supposed to open on March 4. However, various areas face accessibility issues.
The teaching staff, however, undeterred by the whims of nature, have already resumed their duties since February 21. They prepare classrooms, gather materials, and eagerly await the return of their students, anticipating the bustling energy that comes with the resumption of classwork.
However, as March 4, approaches, a sense of apprehension mingles with anticipation. While in Valley pains, the schools can resume routine, it is challenging in most of remote up north Kashmir.
The schools in Kashmir were closed for winter vacations on November 28, and were supposed to reopen February 29, 2024. Weather shifts led to extension of three days in vacation. Now, various areas are snow-bound.
