The failure of the authorities to ensure implementation of COVID-19 guidelines for the coaching centres has put scores of students at risk.
In Baramulla town alone, each coaching centre is overwhelmed with huge number of students and the physical distance between the students is not maintained.
“More than 60 students are enrolled in a single subject. The coaching centre here has no benches. Resultantly, all students are made to sit on the floor with no physical distancing,” said Asif Mujtaba, a student.
Most of these coaching centres have not even kept the sanitisers available and have the potential of spreading the virus exponentially.
“As part of the guidelines, use of mask and sanitisers is a must. However, the coaching centres are not ensuring the use of mask by the students or keeping sanitisers available,” said Firdous Ahmad, a parent whose daughter is coaching at a tuition centre in Baramulla town.
The violation of the guidelines is reported at the coaching centres located across various area of Baramulla district.
The failure of the authorities to make such centres accountable has disappointed scores of parents whose wards are enrolled at at these centres.
In Rafiabad area of Baramulla district, where more than a dozen coaching centres are operating, guideline issued by the authorities are not being implemented. The overcrowded classrooms with no physical distancing, and use of masks is posing a huge threat of COVID-19 virus spread.
“Look at these small classrooms which are crowded with students. The owners of these tuition centres do not bother about the safety of the enrolled students. The authorities need to act and close all such centres that violate the guidelines,” said Abdul Majeed of Watergam Rafiabad, Baramulla. Similar reports of violation of SOPS at private coaching centres are being reported from Tangmarg,
Pattan, Hamray and Uri area of Baramulla district. Meanwhile, Deputy Education Officer Baramulla Balbeer Singh told Greater Kashmir that if the reports of violation of these guidelines are reported to the department, such tuition centres would be closed down. “The administration as well as the Department of Education will ensure that all the coaching centres follow these guidelines. The coaching centres that don’t follow guidelines will be closed and strict action taken against their owners,” he said.