The J&K government on Friday authorised the deputy commissioners to take a call on the continuation of online and offline classes at schools in their respective districts.
The move comes in wake of COVID-19 positive cases being reported among staffers and students in schools of various districts.
An order issued by Deputy Secretary to the J&K government in the School Education Department reads that the Deputy Commissioners, who also head the DDMAs in their respective districts have been authorised to take a call on the continuation of classes at the schools in their jurisdictions.
“It has been observed that surge of pandemic COVID-19 has wide variation among districts. In view of this, decision regarding running of physical classes vis a vis online classes requires to be taken at district level by the Competent Authority,” the order reads.
“All the District Magistrates/Chairman DDMAs of Kashmir and Jammu division shall take a call on the continuation of physical classes or online classes in their respective jurisdiction,” it reads.
This has been done keeping in view the safety of students amid a spike in COVID-19 positive cases in J&K.
“The respective CEOs and concerned officials have been asked to assist in taking such decisions,” the order reads.
Since the reopening of schools in the new academic session, many schools in Kashmir were forced to shut recently after reporting COVID-19 infections among staffers and students.
More than 40 cases were reported in three schools of Budgam district forcing the authorities to close the educational institutions for 5-10 days.
In south Kashmir’s Anantnag, another private school was closed following a surprise visit of Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) to the educational institutions to inspect the adherence to COVID-19 SoPs in the schools.
On Wednesday over 50 positive cases including students and staff members of government and some private schools reported positive for COVID-19 at another south Kashmir school.
Notably, the Greater Kashmir reported in its Friday’s issue reported that the J&K government was likely to authorize the respective DCs to take a call on the continuation of physical classes in schools in view of surge in infections.
Meanwhile, the north Kashmir (Delina) satellite campus of the Kashmir University was closed for two days after around half a dozen students tested positive for COVID-19.
Registrar Kashmir University, Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir confirmed to Greater Kashmir about the development and said the campus was closed for two days (Friday and Saturday) as a precautionary measure to avoid further spread of the virus.
The students were reported positive on Thursday,” he said.