Uncertainty prevails over holding of exams in Valley

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 14

With schools completely shut for the last 40 days, uncertainty looms large over the holding of annual exams in Kashmir schools as students say that they have just completed the 40 per cent of their syllabus and there are hardly any signs of schools opening soon.

After the abrogation of Article 370, the government imposed a complete communication blockade and restrictions in the region. The schools continue to be shut, despite the government’s announcement that they have thrown open schools up to higher secondary level in the areas where restrictions have been lifted. But the response of students has been poor or almost zero. The parents have refused to send their children to schools, despite the government’s announcements, citing security reasons.

However, with the academic year in the schools nearing to end there is a worry among students and parents over the holding of annual exams that normally commence from the first week of October.

“The academic year of students has been completely ruined. The government has ruined the future of our children when they knew that this step will trigger a bad situation in Kashmir. They did not think about the future of our children,” said Rubeena Rashid, a mother from Srinagar.

“We are very much disturbed about the future of our children,” she said.

The schools in the Valley, particularly in Srinagar city, from the last more than a week have started distributing assignments in pen drives to students to be done at home as there is no sign of opening of educational institutions due to strict shutdown.

The tension continues to mount in Kashmir where shops, schools and business establishments have continued to be shut for the last 40 days. The students who have now started preparing the assignments at home said they had just completed the 40 per cent of their syllabus in the schools.