Srinagar Feb 12: A day after LG Manoj Sinha asked authorities to “ensure enabling environment” for reopening of schools in J&K, the School Education Department in the UT said it will reopen the institutions in Jammu next week and after culmination of winter vacation in Kashmir.
The LG on Friday while reviewing the COVID situation said that the “pandemic situation has improved and authorities can gradually move ahead for reopening of schools and holding offline classes while ensuring complete adherence to SoPs”.
Schools in J&K, like rest of India, have mostly been closed since the outbreak of the pandemic in the spring of 2020.
Now, after the LG’s directions coupled with a decline in COVID cases of late, the J&K School Education Department is all set to reopen the institutions across the UT as the academic session 2022-23 draws closer.
Principal Secretary School Education Department (SED), Bishwajit Kumar Singh told Greater Kashmir that schools in Jammu are likely to reopen next week adding an official order in this regard might be round the corner.
In Kashmir, the schools will be reopened once the ongoing winter vacation ends by February end.
The J&K government as part of the preparations for resuming physical class work at schools, started the campaign to vaccinate children in the 15-18 age group on January 3. Additional Chief Secretary Health and Medical Education Department, during Friday’s COVID review meeting with the LG, said that there has been “significant growth in vaccination for 15-18 years age group”.
The government has already allowed the private coaching centres to hold offline classes for coaching of civil services, NEET and other competative examinations.