Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 27

At her home in Peerbagh locality of Srinagar, Rutba Mustafa, 18, a class XII is teaching few kids, her relatives and neighbors who study in lower classes. Voluntarily she is helping them to complete the syllabus at home as the schools continue to be shut for the last 53 days in Kashmir after Article-370 was abrogated.

“They show little interest to study as they have been disconnected from books as they have not been to schools for a long time,” says Rutba who is herself a student of Class XII.

“The atmosphere in Kashmir is very disturbing for all young people”.

The schools and colleges in Kashmir continue to be shut for last 53 days with no signs of them opening any soon as the annual exam season nears in the region’s schools sparking fears among the students of delay in the academic year and an uncertainty over their future prospects in their careers.

Some students were studying for competitive exams. Some were supposed to apply for national exams like Graduate Aptitude Test Exam (GATE). But overall, the students are in dilemma in Kashmir due to the closure of educational institutions and blockade of internet.

“The government has not any clear idea how much education is suffering and we also do not know whom to approach for any kind of help. The students are a forgotten lot. We are now taking our own initiatives to help ourselves. They will talk about education only when it is a matter of politics,” said  Muntaha Khursheed, a student of Government College for Women in Srinagar.

Earlier ,the government in August had announced to open schools in the areas where restrictions were eased but now there is no talk about schools even from the government making the students furious. Some private schools provided the students with assignments to be undertaken at home till the schools are opened. But there is a little relief for the student of government schools as no such measure has been taken.

“We have not been given any study material from our schools,” said a 17-year-old student of Government Higher Secondary School, Amira Kadal.

Students in the region are in a fix as the exam session is nearing in school but the students have neither completed the syllabus not there are any signs yet that the schools will be opened any soon.

“We do not know when the schools will open and we fear that the day it opens we should not be forced to appear in the exams when we have not completed syllabus yet,” said Misbah Rashid, a student of New Era School in Srinagar. “There is no clarity on any side”.

Another students Zainab from Linton Hall School in city said that they are studying at home but that does not suffice for the board exams.

“The main issue is that at home we remain under stress because there is only discussion about the current turmoil, there is no such atmosphere where we can study. We fear that it will affect our whole year,” she said. “There is also a rumor that situation will further worsen which makes us more anxious”.