Saima Bhat
Srinagar
After more than three months of winter break, all government and private schools resumed their class work today. The morning hours presented different, yet colorful look when children of various age groups were waiting at their respective stops for the bus to arrive. Excitement was all around. Many were happy to have reunion with their friends; others wearing scornful look to attend school after long break.
The routes leading to various schools were busy. Traffic jams, zooming bikes, scooties and honking was a new scene of colourful streets. Besides schools, cr?ches resumed their operations and vans were plying in every nook and corner.
“I am very excited that after three months I am going to meet my friend that’s why I reached my bus stop some time prior to the actual time”, said Noha, 5, while laughing with other students of her age who were waiting for their school busses.
Most of the children were having chips and chocolates in their hands. With the excited children it seems as if dead winter was a thing of past.
Some school children also said they will be asked to prepare for exams soon but that didn’t washed out their happiness of joining schools again. Some students were carrying their projects, some charts besides their jam-packed bags with all winter vacation note books.
Not only students but teachers were also rushing towards the stops to catch their buses.
The reopening of schools took place after giving two extensions, earlier schools were to reopen on March 1 but the authorities extended the vacations till March 3. Later the vacation was extended again till March 10 on the grounds that Kashmir was under the grip of cold wave after snowfall.
“This time temperature remained somewhat better in the month of March but every time authorities extend the winter vacations for the goodwill of secretariat people as their children remain in Jammu till April”, shared a parent while waiting with his children for school bus.
Presently there are 11633 government and 2047 private schools running in Kashmir and as per the orders of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Samoon, he directed his deputy commissioners to ensure the reopening of schools from today.
“I was waiting for reopening of schools from a week now. Had kept my uniform ready in a hanger and my new school shoes polished on March 1. I am very excited that I am going to school back”, said Aayat, 10, who was chatting and playing on her bus stop along with her other friends.
Amid the strikes and curfew’s some parents have apprehended their concern with the opening of schools but divisional commissioner Kashmir has already announced that school uniforms may be treated as curfew passes.
While talking in a lighter vein a parent while talking to Kashmir Life said, “I was in a fix if government puts restriction as it is School Chalo today.”
