Reopening of schools amid vortex of Pandemic may prove disastrous for children: Qayoom Wani

Srinagar: Senior trade union leader and former President Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) Ab Qayoom Wani on Saturday said that reopening of schools amid spike in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may prove disastrous for the children and urged the Government to reconsider it’s decision.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday former EJAC President and Civil society member Wani cautioned the Government to reconsider it’s intention of reopening of schools in mid June as this would be an ill-advised and harmful step anyway.
Wani said that in Kashmir the COVID-19 scenario as the experts say and the observations tell us are not favorable to think about to take the decision of opening of schools at this stage,
Recently, the leading Pulmonologist of the valley Naveed Nazir Shah in an interview hinted that the community transmission of the pandemic in Kashmir cannot be rules out as there was no trace history of some patients according to him.
Though education should and must be a top priority but in the given circumstances of spread of Covid-19 such a step would be disastrous for the lives of lakhs of our students.
At a time when at the global level World Health Organisation is seriously cautioning against any complacency and our local health authorities are worried about the communal spread phase of the virus, any decision of opening of schools shall mean throwing all caution to the wind and exposing our young children to unimaginable disaster.
It would be much better in this situation to continue with radio, TV and e- classes.
If the government is sincere they should restore 4G instead of putting lives of lakhs of students & teachers at risk keeping in view the fear of Covid -19 ,so that online classes could go on as is happening in most parts of the world.
Wani appreciated the role of Asgar Samoon Sahib for his initiatives of online classes and reaching out to the students by taking utmost care of their educational future and also taking care of rights and well as duties of the employees of Education deptt. Wani urged upon the Principle secretary Asgar Samoon Sahab to use his good office for revocation of this decision in the larger interest of the student community , parents ,society and teaching fraternity.
Wani saluted teachers for reaching out to students through online classes at difficult time in absence of 4G .
Wani also prayed for speedy recovery of Dr Naveed Nazir Shah ,other front line warriors and patient’s affected from covid -19.