SRINAGAR, July 14: Kashmir’s education department has issued a circular asking government schools to ‘make sure’ that all their students and teachers converged at the Bakshi Stadium to “cheer” at a football match on Sunday.
A circular issued by the Chief Education Officer (CEO) has ordered that school principals should make sure that all their students and staff ‘compulsorily’ attended a goodwill match which will be played tomorrow at the Bakshi stadium between one of India’s premier football teams, Mohammadan Sporting Club and the host JK Eleven.
Among others, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the education portfolio, and Sports Minister R.S. Chib will be attending the event.
But teachers and parents have not taken the instructions well.
“Why should they force us to be a part of the audience? It’s a holiday. Whoever wants to go would go; rest should have been left out. Ordering that we should attend the match is not done,” said a teacher wishing not to be named.
What has raised eyebrows is that the female teachers have not been left out of the order.
“We have our families and kids. Why should the government force us to watch a football match and cheer for the players when we are not interested,” said a lady teacher pleading anonymity.
The teacher said she had no choice but to sign the order as she feared “strict action against defaulters”.
Meanwhile the CEO, Nazir Ahmed Kanth who has issued the order justified his action by saying the match was a “one time event” and that “spending two hours was not a big deal”.
“We have asked schools to bring all their students and how is it possible that their teachers are not there to attend. Who will keep a watch on them,” he said.
“Who knows when we will get a chance to see such a match again in our lives?”
When asked if the idea of forcing people to witness the match, even if they were not interested, was justified, the CEO said, “I think you should ask the Minister for Sports R.S. Chib for a justification.”
