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Students
trickle in as Srinagar schools reopen
Monday, September 27, 2010 12:45:00 PM,
IANS
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Srinagar:
School staff turned up in large numbers as educational
institutions here reopened after over three months Monday. While
the student inflow was no more than a trickle and a curfew
prevailed, those who came said it was a pleasure to be back in
class.
"I have come to my school after two months. It is a joy I cannot
put in words. But if the situation does not improve completely, I
fear my parents might not risk sending me to the school just
because I enjoy coming here," said Mudasir (name changed), who
studies at a prestigious private school here.
"It has been my first experience to venture out of home during
curfew. Everything wears a deserted look. Hardly anybody on the
roads. My father who brought me to school on his scooter was
stopped by police, but after seeing me riding pillion they just
smiled and waved us on."
In the majority of schools in Old City areas, the attendance of
students was zero, although staff at most schools reported for
duty.
The state government had made elaborate security and transport
arrangements for the opening of educational institutions in
Srinagar where curfew continued to remain in force Monday.
"All school buses carrying children are being allowed to move in
the city without any restrictions. Parents carrying children to
educational institutions are also being freely allowed to move in
the city," a senior police officer said.
"Nearly 100 percent staff attendance has been reported from
government schools in Srinagar and the response of students to the
opening of schools has also been good. It is encouraging given
that separatists have called for a complete shutdown and asked
people to remain indoors."
At least 108 people have been killed in the Kashmir Valley, mostly
in firing by the security forces during clashes with stone-pelting
protestors in the past three and a half months. The unrest led to
schools being shut in the valley.
The response of education officials was cautious.
"We are gathering the students' attendance figures from across the
city so that we can quantify the numbers. Still, I can assure you
the staff posted at all the government schools in the city
reported well in time," said an official of the school education
department.
Parents had a different story to tell.
"In a city where the authorities have imposed curfew and the
separatists have called for a complete shutdown, how can anyone
expect children to come out of their own or be allowed by parents
to attend school?" asked a parent who, however, made the effort to
take his ward to school.
"I brought my son to the school Monday because I live hardly 500
metres away from my son's school. This would not be possible for
others who have to bring their children to the school from
eight-10 kilometres away in a tense city."
Ironically, schools opening in Srinagar had an adverse effect in
rural areas of the valley where both government and private
schools have been functioning almost normally during three months
of unrest. Villagers thought the publicity would rebound on
schoolgoers.
"Today for the first time, I had to think whether it was safe to
take my grandchild to school. After the publicity given to the
opening of schools after three months in Srinagar, unwittingly the
authorities have exposed those children to the wrath of
separatists who had been attending schools normally all these
months," argued an angry resident of a north Kashmir village.
"Does anybody know that the number of students in rural areas of
the valley is far greater than those in Srinagar?
"By creating a hype about schools being reopened after three
months, the authorities have created problems for parents whose
children had been attending the schools regularly during this
period in the rural areas."
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Students
trickle in as Srinagar schools reopen
School staff turned up in large numbers as educational
institutions here reopened after over three months Monday. While
the student inflow was no more than a trickle and a curfew
prevailed, those who came said it was a pleasure to be back in
class. "I have come to my
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