Over 300 schools shut for 9th day in J&K

Jammu, May 25: The future of more than 40,000 students is at stake as nearly 300 schools remained closed in Jammu. Friday, May 25, was the ninth consecutive day for the schools being shut along the international border. The students were at receiving end of the cross-border firing in Jammu as Pakistan has been targeting civilian areas instead of border outposts. The authorities were forced to shut the schools as the security was not increased.


The cross-border firing and constant shelling claimed more than 10 lives and over 50 people were injured in last nine days. It is not only the death toll which has been increasing but the education of the youngsters is the other major casualty during the border unrest. The schools remain closed in the following areas- Hira Nagar, Samba, Ramgarh and RS Pura sector. The students’ education has suffered immensely in the state. Recently, schools were closed for more than 45 days along the Line of Control.

The kin of the students demand that the schools should be far away from the international borders so that at least students are not at the receiving end. So far, the government has failed to look into the pleas. The only solution the authorities can resort to is the closing down of schools during periods of unrest. The residents of the area are understandably disgruntled. On one hand they were losing family members and on the other hand their children’s future is also being compromised.


Uncertainty has become nucleus of the citizen’s existence in these areas. Pakistan continues to target the civilian areas, in past nine days more than 50 villages had been targeted along the international border. In such a situation, the administration needs to have a plan so that the education of thousands of kids is not at stake.