Schools across Kashmir reopened on Monday after a 15-day hiatus with teachers reporting to work in many of them as restrictions were eased further but students’ attendance was thinner, officials said. They said the government has made necessary arrangements for opening of 190 primary schools in Srinagar city as security forces remained deployed in most parts of Kashmir Valley.
But all private schools in the city remained shut for the 15th consecutive day as parents were apprehensive about the security situation in view of violent protests over the past two days. Only Police Public School at Bemina and a few Kendriya Vidyalayas saw a handful of students turning up. A senior Srinagar district official said a few schools on the city’s periphery were opened but in the old city and in civil lines areas, they remained shut due to violence over the past two days
Officials in Baramulla district said schools in five towns remained closed but in the rest of the district, schools were opened, the officials said "There is no relaxation in restrictions in Pattan, Palhalan, Singhpora, Baramulla and Sopore towns. Primary schools in the rest of the district are open. We are collecting details about the number of students who have reported at their respective schools," an official said.
Authorities had planned to open schools up to primary level and make all government offices functional from Monday. In Srinagar city, security check barricades were removed from areas where the situation has remained peaceful since the Indian government announced the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated it into two union territories on August 5 Markets in the Valley were shut while public transport remained off roads. The movement of private vehicles in the city increased after restrictions were eased.
