For the last two years schools have worked virtually due to back to back two high intensity covid-19 pandemic waves but have now started opening up for resumption of routine class work only in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir as the intensity of covid-19 pandemic is showing fluctuations day after day, week after week and months after month. Though private schools are stressing for the resumption of routine class work in schools with several other states and union territories of the country but the government does not tend to take risks keeping in view the fluctuations in the current wave of covid pandemic more in urban parts of Jammu & Kashmir and comparatively less in rural areas. What matters the most is the fact that government has completed just first dose of vaccination in Jammu & Kashmir and unless and until second dose of covid vaccination is not completed the resumption of routine class work would be a risk one way or the other. Since no one can forget the difficulties children faced in accessing online education during last two years of high intensity covid pandemic across Jammu & Kashmir, the health safety of the children should be a priority by all standards of understandabilities for both the parents and as well as the authorities of school education department both in Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division.
Since the future of incoming generations in any part of the world can’t be secured without an increasing focus on the nutrition of the children the health safety of the children particularly their nutrition should be preferred over resumption of routine class work in Jammu & Kashmir.
Before taking any decision the resumption of the routine class work the authorities of school education and health departments should take stock of healthcare facilities for both the children and as well as the teachers more in remote inaccessible rural areas than in urban, semi urban and accessible rural areas . Never forget the fact that nutrition of children is also an issue in inaccessible rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir where more than half of the population falls in the category of Below Poverty Line (BPL). Interestingly for access of children to healthcare and education in villages teacher has to play a central role as the teacher has not to only do the job of teaching in class but would be driven by a motivational compulsion to play the role of a facilitator in the nutrition of the children in cooperation and coordination with the anganwari workers and helpers. Since the future of incoming generations in any part of the world can’t be secured without an increasing focus on the nutrition of the children the health safety of the children particularly their nutrition should be preferred over resumption of routine class work in Jammu & Kashmir.
