Jammu and Kashmir: Div Com asks DCs to ensure COVID19 tests for students, teachers

The move comes in wake of positive cases reported from government and private schools in Srinagar and other districts.

This newspaper earlier reported about violation of covid19 SOPs by schools.

The students and the parents had complained about the failure of schools to ensure proper adherence to the covid19 guidelines issued by the government from time to time.

Also, the staff members in a private school and government schools of Srinagar and Budgam districts tested covid19 positive which sent the parents into a tizzy as most of the schools are allegedly not following required precautions. In an official communication, the divisional commissioner Kashmir has asked all the deputy commissioners of Kashmir valley to ensure rapid covid19 tests for the students and teachers.

The official communication states that the schools in Kashmir division opened from March 01 and students of classes 9th to 12th are attending their schools as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and family Welfare, MHA and divisional administration.

“As per the guidelines the students of class 1st to 8th are scheduled to attend their classes from March 08 of 2021. In this connection you are directed to put in place random rapid covid19 test facilities in your respective districts for educational institutions so that the spread of the Corona virus is prevented,” the official communication reads. As already reported, the school education department has constituted 4-tier monitoring teams to monitor adherence to Covid19 SOPs and preparedness in government and private schools.

As per the order issued by the Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Muhammad Younis Malik, the teams will work at divisional level, district level, zonal level and cluster level to ensure proper adherence to SOPs by all government and private schools.