KV Network

Spike in cases: Why only schools face closure?

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Tousif Raza
Schools are again closed for two weeks in Kashmir valley in the wake of increased Covid-19 cases. The move was necessitated so that the virus spread could be halted if not stopped completely.
The circulation of virus is fast and furious during its second stage as per official reports. Now the education sector is out of order which of course is not singly responsible for this alarming situation.
Right now the tulip garden is open where people are making a beeline and the garden is getting over crowed which is totally against the covid norms and protocol. This comment, I am making here is quite reflective of the public mood that has surfaced on various social media platforms as many people who wish the wellbeing of their fellow citizens, mentioned.
Education sector right now has once again come to a grinding halt but all cultural and social gatherings and programmes are still running smoothly. India reported more than one lakh cases on Sunday and even after that the numbers have not fallen but are maintaining a stagnant hold. This in itself is terrible and horrible for people again.
The increasing rate of covid cases is quite troublesome. Now the education as well as all other sectors will be the agents to promote Covid-19 further, but why only schools are closed as preventive measure, why not all other departments too face the same fate where over crowded environment is a routine.
Kashmir is presently undergoing a deep recession. Still people’s hard earned money is invested on the education of our children, and surprisingly majority of the schools be it private or government-SOP’s are being followed religiously. Then why schools were chosen for closure.
There are much more questions like this roaming around. No matter where from these questions emerge what matters is the impact and influence these questions will impose. A passive impact on administration and will drop a question mark over the decisions made regarding the schools and education.
As a matter fact we know that education is the basic element to develop a nation without any material basis. Education sector is struggling in Kashmir not since two or three years but from past several decades as it is in pretty bad shape. Sometimes by passive political influence and sometimes by any other social issue, the education sector takes a hit.
All sections, either civil or administrative are interlinked to one another and are directly proportional to each other. Since Covid-19 came as bolt from the blue it had its impact on many sectors and among the many critical and crucial sectors education proved to be the one which took most of the beating. Therefore, the administration should take it in a serious consideration and think out of the box for this crucial sector.
People all over Kashmir could be of the view that the administration is out of mind to decide the closure of school but few of them might be thinking in bilateral way and might be saying some meaningful things about the decision either in support or against. Covid is hard to control. Is only lock down a solution? There can be other ways and means, like banning assembling of people and curbing or limiting assembly of people in all social and other gatherings.
Though the educational institutions will remain closed for two weeks in Kashmir but the other official meetings under SOPs and distancing norms will continue, which means that education really does not mean anything for our Valley.
The administrative norms are directly or indirectly imposing closure of schools only to let our time go waste but they are letting us to be missing the track as well. This sort of mindset needs to change and the administration should produce a sense of changes in tackling the threat regarding the virus.
(The author is a student and hails from Tangmarg. He can be reached at [email protected] )

 


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