Srinagar, Feb 15 (UNI) After remaining closed for about a year due to Coronavirus pandemic, all degree colleges reopened on Monday in the summer capital, Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley amid strict COVID-19 guidelines put in place by the government.

Students were being screened at the entrance of their respective colleges and only youth wearing facemasks were allowed into the premises. Most of the colleges have made adequate arrangements for adherence of COVID-19 protocol, including availability of hand sanitizers at the entrances of the institutions.

However, the educations institutes witnessed partial attendance even as many parents expressed concern over the safety of their children in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

All educational institutes, including schools, colleges and universities, operated barely for two weeks in the 2020 academic session before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a country-wide lockdown bring life to a grinding halt.

A UNI correspondent, who visited various colleges, including Women's College in MA road, saw students maintaining social distancing and wearing facemasks while attending the classes. 'We are very happy that our regular classes have started after over a year. We have lost a lot in terms of academics in 2019 due to unrest post abrogation of special status of J&K and then in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic,' Shazia, a Women's college student, told UNI.

She said that she is very excited to meet her friends and teachers, whom she hadn't seen for a very long time. 'Besides education, we also missed on extra curricula activities, including sports, which is an important aspect of overall development of a student,' Shazia said.

She hoped that the current academic session passes off without any problem so that students can work to fulfill their dreams. Similar, views were expressed by other students.

Officials said that the physical class work for students in Kashmir colleges resume on Monday. 'Even though attendance was not 100 per cent, we are hopeful that full attendance will be achieved in coming days after the parents are satisfied with the arrangements which have been put up in colleges,' they said.

They said sanitisation of college premises and other precautionary measures have already been taken care of by the Education Department.

All the educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, in J&K were closed in March last year in view of COVID-19 outbreak.
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