Schools reopen in J

Srinagar, Mar 3 (UNI) All educational institutions, except those situated in snow-bound areas of the Kashmir valley, parts of Jammu region and Ladakh, reopened today after more than three months-long winter vacations.

Students, including the first timers who got admissions in nursery classes, were seen heading towards their schools holding bags, lunch boxes and wearing colourful winter dresses.

Parents, especially whose children were going to the school for the first time, were also accompanying them.

''We were waiting for this occasion for the past three months, said Fayaz Ahmad whose daughter was to attend school for the first time.

Meanwhile, keeping in mind the strike by the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees, the schools had informed the parents to make their own arrangements for sending the children to the school till the strike was called off.

Reacting to it some of the parents said they were shocked after learning about the orders.

Students of higher classes could also be seen waiting for school buses at stops in the city.

''Dropping children at school and later picking them up from there was time very consuming,'' some of the parents said adding that it was almost impossible for a businessman or an employee to leave the place of working during the day.

The schools were closed on December one last year because of the heavy rains and considerable drop in the temperature.

Most of the schools could not conduct the first term examination because of the government orders to close down the educational institutions following severe cold due to rains and snowfall in the upper reaches.

Due to record snowfall in the last 20 years in the Kashmir valley and parts of the Jammu region, the government had decided to extend the winter vacation till March 15 in the worst hit areas.

UNI BAS SK RK1301