After two months of abrogation of Article 370, all schools to reopen in Kashmir today

After staying closed for nearly two months, all schools in Jammu and Kashmir are set to reopen from Thursday, following the abrogation of Article 370. The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday had directed the officials to ensure the same.

The directions came from Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan, who on Monday, directed all the authorities to ensure that all government schools and private institutions in Kashmir be reopened from Thursday.

Khan also asked the concerned officials to hold a parent-teacher meeting in the Valley and finalise all modalities for opening schools and colleges in coordination with district administrations.

He also directed all the deputy commissioners in the Valley and the director of school education to make sure that no tuition fee or bus fee is charged from students for the days in August and September when the institutes were closed.

In the meeting, it was also decided that if any educational institution is found charging tuition fee or bus fee from students for the days in August and September, heavy penalty will be levied and the registration of such educational institutions would be cancelled.

All schools and colleges were closed in Jammu and Kashmir after the government revoked Article 370 which gave special status to the state and bifurcated it into two union territories. These territories will come into effect on October 31.

The state administration had earlier attempted to reopen schools last month but that did not succeed because while the teachers and other staff reported for work, the students did not turn up.