Back to school still a distant dream for children hit by shelling in Valley villages

Even though schools reopened in Kashmir’s border villages last week, many families whose homes were destroyed during intense shelling by Pakistani forces are still waiting for their children to resume studies. With books, uniforms, and basic belongings lost in the destruction, returning to school remains a distant hope.

Following India’s strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistani forces launched heavy artillery shelling on villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir. The shelling caused extensive damage to homes and left many residents homeless.

Although authorities reopened educational institutions last week as normalcy gradually returned to the borders, many children are yet to return to school.

Yunis Naik, a resident of Salamabad in the border town of Uri in Baramulla district, said his children, who study in a private school, have been unable to attend classes. “There is nothing left after our house was destroyed. My children are not going to school because they don’t have uniforms or books,” Naik said.

He noted that while the education department has begun distributing books to children enrolled in government schools, private school students have not yet received any assistance. “We hope the government will extend support to those studying in private schools as well,” he added.

Similar situations are being reported from other affected areas. In Batpora village in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, six families lost their homes to the shelling. “We have no place to stay—our house was completely destroyed. How can the children go to school?” said Tasveer Ahmad, a resident of Batpora. “They can’t return to school immediately because we need to arrange uniforms and books. Everything was burned in the shelling.”

He added, “We are waiting for the administration to help us by providing essentials like books and clothing so that our children can go back to school. For now, their education has been disrupted.”

A senior official in the education department said instructions have already been issued to district authorities to assess the damage caused by the shelling. The official confirmed that schools in the border villages are currently functional.

“There are families whose homes were completely destroyed, resulting in the loss of books and uniforms for their children. We have directed that these families be provided with the necessary supplies so that the children’s education can continue without interruption,” the official said.