The J&K government on Sunday extended the closure period for 10th to 12th classes in government and private schools till April 18 due to spike in COVID-19 across J&K.
An order in this regard was issued by the member secretary State Disaster Management Authorities, Simrandeep Singh Singh after taking a detailed review meeting on the current COVID situation in J&K with the Financial Commissioner Health, Administrative Secretary School Education, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir division.
The meeting assessed the situation pertaining to the spread of COVID-19 in J&K. “On basis of these assessment, the State Executive Committee, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it under section 24 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, hereby orders that all schools in J&K UT shall continue to remain closed for imparting on-campus in-person education to the students of all classes up to and including Class 12 till April 18,” the order reads.
Earlier, the J&K government had ordered for temporary closure of schools up to class 9th till April 18 while the classes from 10th to 12th were closed till April 11. The schools were closed after around 100 students and some teaching faculty tested positive for COVID-19 in various districts.
“It is clarified that this order does not prohibit the conduct of any scheduled exam, during this period, by any examination conducting body or institution, subject to the existing COVID norms of adequate social distancing and sanitization,” the order reads.