With the institutions reporting COVID-19 infections among staff within the very first week of reopening, the Directorate of School Education Kashmir has decided to postpone the proposed reopening of schools in the valley for lower primary classes by a week in a bid to ensure staggered attendance to contain the disease spread, Greater Kashmir has learnt.
The schools resumed class work for classes 9-12 from March 1 while as standard 1st to 8 were scheduled to resume class work from Monday March 8.
However, in view of the emergence of COVID-19 infections among staffers at private schools in Srinagar and Budgam districts, the schools will resume class work only for classes 6-8 from Monday for now, DSEK, Mohammad Younis Malik told Greater Kashmir.
Class work for standards KG-5th shall resume from March 15, he added.
An official order has also been issued by the DSEK in this regard.
Malik said the decision had been taken to ensure staggered attendance of students to maintain social distancing inside the premises to contain the disease spread.
He further added that strict directions had been passed to the institutions to follow COVID-19 SOPs in letter and spirit.