Though indiscipline should not have become the cause for the fresh strain of COVID-19 pandemic in schools across Kashmir but unfortunately indiscipline more shown by teachers and less by students in absence of strict enforcement of COVID-19 protocols is becoming the cause for unprecedented rise in the daily no of COVID-19 pandemic cases in schools across Kashmir. While the missionary schools have shown great wisdom by reducing the physical attendance of students in classes from six days to three days a week to ensure that one half of the enrolled students attend classes for first three days and another half of the enrolled students attends for the next three of the week, there is no such mechanism in place for social distancing in other private schools and all government run schools in Kashmir valley. Unfortunately the Government too has failed to implement social distancing norms not only in classes but also in school buses which are seen crowded with the students on every route within and outside Srinagar city. Interestingly the no of positive cases reported daily remains the highest in Srinagar city and comparatively less in other districts of Kashmir valley. Human wisdom demands that like the missionary schools, the other private schools and government run schools also slash down the no of attendance days for students in classes from six to three days a week to ensure one half of the enrolled students attends classes on first three days of the week and another half of the enrolled students attends classes on next three days of the week . Government has not only failed to enforce social distancing in schools but it has also failed to enforce use of masks and sanitisers by both the teaching staff and as well as the students.
Enforcing discipline in the educational institutions and other places of huge public attraction for the purposes of implementing COVID-19 protocols would surely bring down the intensity of the unprecedented surge in the no of positive cases both within and outside educational institutions.
The government could have stocked face masks in government run schools and asked the managements of all private schools also to do so keeping in view the fact that a simple mask costs just Rs 5/-. As managements of private schools force the students to pay other fee they could also force them to pay for masks. Instead of fining students for not using masks they can charge Rs 5/- for a mask from a student for forcing him/her to use the mask. Such a workable procedure would also make students understand the importance and the spirit of discipline. Unfortunately government only penalises people but does not take any workable decision to make people understand the spirit of discipline at all public institutions particularly schools, colleges and universities which being the most attractive places of public attraction are becoming vulnerable to fast spread of the fresh strain of COVID-19 pandemic. Enforcing discipline in the educational institutions and other places of huge public attraction for the purposes of implementing COVID-19 protocols would surely bring down the intensity of the unprecedented surge in the no of positive cases both within and outside educational institutions.
