‘WE ARE TRYING TO TECHNOLOGICALLY EQUIP OUR SCHOOLS'
Kashmir Life|June 6 - 12, 2021
Director of School Education Kashmir, Tassaduq Hussain Mir is a busy man these days. He has to ensure that the government schools adopt and adapt to the online mode of teaching. In an interview, Mir tells Khalid Bashir Gura that the government schools are better placed in terms of infrastructure and the faculty than the private schools
Khalid Bashir Gura
‘WE ARE TRYING TO TECHNOLOGICALLY EQUIP OUR SCHOOLS'

KASHMIR LIFE (KL): Recently a teacher’s son committed suicide as his father’s salary was not paid for more than two years?

TASSADUQ HUSSAIN MIR (THM): Whenever any person is recruited in the government services, there is police verification followed by remarks. The majority are marked as nothing adverse. But in this case, there were “ambiguous negative remarks” and not even clear negative remarks, which has resulted in the withholding of salary. A committee has been set up to investigate the case and hopefully, the result will be positive since the concerned is living the normal life and has shunned the path of violence. A journey from gun to pen is a great change.

KL: Why did it take a six-year-old girl’s online plea to change policy on online classes rather than policymakers? Many stakeholders and experts said they were not taken on board and termed it as “bizarre”?

THM: Health is the priority and everything comes next. All academicians, experts, stakeholders were consulted before capping online classes through a formal order. We were giving the alternative for offline classes when this video emerged. Now, we are also monitoring whether every school is following the guidelines. There is a less physical activity because of more screen time, which results in an increase in stress levels. Parents should ensure they involve kids in indoor games. We have established mental health counselling cell in the directorate and in all districts with a toll-free number.

KL: Since August 5, 2019 schools in Kashmir have opened only for a couple of weeks. The pandemic has compounded the problem. What is the administration doing to compensate for the loss of the physical classrooms?

This story is from the June 6 - 12, 2021 edition of Kashmir Life.

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This story is from the June 6 - 12, 2021 edition of Kashmir Life.

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