In Srinagar, students happy to be back in school

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 21

Even as parents here, by and large, remained critical of the government's decision to reopen schools in the pandemic, students who turned up to attend classes said they were glad to be back with their friends and teachers after around six months.

The teachers said they would try their best to follow the Covid-related SOPs. Amid difficulty to hold online classes with the 2G speed, some said they had started feeling depressed after remaining confined to homes most of the time after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and then due to the Covid lockdown this year.

"My parents did not give me permission, but I had to convince them to allow me to go to school. We were forced to stay home last year too due to scrapping of Article 370. We want schools to remain open now. What will we do with the 2G speed, as it does not allow the smooth conduct of the online classes. I am so happy and excited to meet my friends and teachers after six months," said a student of Kothi Bagh Girls Higher Secondary School.

Her words were greeted with cheers by fellow students as Tariq Ahmad, a teacher at the school, said they were hoping that others too feel motivated to return to classes. Meanwhile, amid a flurry of angry posts on social media questioning the decision to open classes IX to XII despite warning from the medicos, some teachers too looked excited. "Today will be my happiest day as I am going to re-establish heart-to-heart contact with my students. We must follow the SOPs to make reopening successful," tweeted M Shafi, a teacher before leaving for school.