Re-opening of schools amid COVID-19 spike dangerous for children, gatherings in classes could make students vulnerable to pandemic: Hakeem

Srinagar: Chairman Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister Hakeem Yaseen here on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the proposed move of the government to open schools in Kashmir from the mid of current month adding that opening of schools would make small kids vulnerable to the infection as they can not maintain social distancing in thier classes .
In a statement issued here on Wednesday , Hakeem said that the proposed move to open schools in Jammu and Kashmir would be a dangerous and unwise decision .He said maintaining social distancing to prevent oneself from the Corona infection has proved a herculean task even for the adults and grow up people so how it could be expected from small kids to adopt physical distance in their schools and class rooms. He said children are the most precious assets of the parents and overall society so it was beyond one’s imagination to think about opening of schools especially lower classes till the pandemic was curbed effectively. He said the circular recently issued by the administrative department of education about plans to open schools in the mid of June ,2020 was ridiculous and arbitrary . He said government should must take all the stakeholders especially parents and guardians of the students into confidence before deliberating on the vital issue of opening of schools amid the prevailing worldwide Covid-19 cricis. He said some private schools runners may be in hurry to open their schools to run their business but it would be a fatal exercise , given the spread of dreaded Novel Coronovirus .
Hakeem said that the health and safety of the students should be the main concern than safeguarding their academic interests adding that in the present day net savvy world , there were other feasible options available to extend teaching and learning aids to the students via internet than making them vulnerable to the dreaded Coronovirus infection by opening schools. While seeking intervention of the L. G of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir , G. C.Murmu to immediately withdraw the arbitrary circular , Hakeem Yaseen said it was imperative to remove apprehensions and mental strain of the parents on this issue . He said this possibility can not be overlooked was fact that the children may not be able to strictly adhere to the social distancing norms in their schools.