After 2 days of school, students back to square one

Reopening of institutes now rests on separatist calendar, which will be out on Thursday

Srinagar: Even after schools reopened for two days in Kashmir after over four months, heads of educational institutions believe that the functioning of schools would depend on the next protest calendar to be issued by the separatists on Thursday. They said that it was unlikely that students would turn up for class work amid shutdown calls.This came as the J&K Government today directed all heads of the schools to complete the admission process for new classes by November 25.For ensuring the smooth conduct of academic activities in schools, the admission to new classes from I to XII shall be completed by or before November 25, said Director Education, Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat.Bhat said the provisional admission for Class XI shall commence as per past practice, two weeks after Class X examination.Due to the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, the schools had been lying shut since July 1. After over four months of closure, the schools in the Valley reopened on Saturday and Sunday.“The government has announced mass promotion for all classes except X and XII and there is no reason for students to take risk and attend the schools,” a senior government official said. He said the government would keep the schools open for admissions and students would take admission for new classes.The Director Education said the head of the institutions had been instructed to complete pending practical work of Classes X and XII students within 15 days from the date of completion of examinations, so that they were able to take their external practical examinations.He said the time table shall be prepared as per standard practice and instructions issued from time to time. “The time table so devised shall be implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.As the government has already announced mass promotion from Classes V to IX, the academic calendar may start from November 27.

Tribune News Service