The schools across Jammu and Kashmir will reopen on September 8, with formal classes resuming from September 10 in Jammu province, following comprehensive safety preparations.
Director of School Education Jammu, Dr. Naseem Javaid Chowdhary, outlined a phased reopening plan that prioritizes student and staff safety while ensuring continuity of education.
As per the order, all Heads of Institutions (HoIs) and teaching staff are required to report for duty on September 8 to begin preparations for the resumption of academic activities. Offline classes are expected to commence from September 10, subject to the completion of mandatory safety protocols and readiness assessments.
The Education Department has emphasized thorough safety preparations before reopening. All school heads have been directed to conduct detailed security and safety audits of their respective buildings to ensure a safe learning environment for students and staff.
The order further mandates institutional heads to evaluate their schools' readiness to resume offline classes and make informed decisions regarding the commencement of academic activities from September 10 onwards.
To ensure smooth implementation, Chief Education Officers (CEOs) across the division have been tasked with monitoring day-to-day activities in schools. They are required to submit detailed compliance and readiness reports to the Directorate of School Education Jammu.
The directive, issued in continuation of the earlier order dated May 3, 2025, reflects the administration's commitment to balancing educational needs with safety considerations.
However, reports from various zones reveal that several school buildings have developed cracks, classrooms remain filled with slush, and furniture and other infrastructure lie damaged.
Education authorities have clarified that normal classwork will not resume until the Public Works (Roads and Buildings) Department completes a safety audit of all government school buildings. "We don't want to put the lives of students and staff at risk in the current scenario," officials said.
So far, 61 school buildings have been reported damaged due to flash floods and heavy rainfall across the division. Four schools in the Kathua district have been completely destroyed. In the Samba district alone, 40 schools have suffered damage, with figures expected to rise after detailed surveys. Reports from Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, and Rajouri districts also confirm damage to school infrastructure, with assessment exercises currently underway.
Officials admitted that removing slush and debris from inundated buildings poses a major challenge. They said that resumption of classwork in flood-hit areas will only be considered after a thorough review of the ground situation and only if conditions are deemed safe.
Reports further suggest that several school buildings remain submerged in muddy water and slush. A senior education department official acknowledged that clearing the muck and debris will be a daunting task before these buildings can be declared fit for use.
The Directorate of School Education Jammu has already ordered safety audits across the division, keeping schools closed until September 5.
This development comes amid widespread devastation caused by cloudburst-triggered landslides and flash floods since August 14, which have claimed over 130 lives, left more than 120 injured, and 33 missing across Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban districts.
Record rainfall on August 26–27 further worsened the situation, submerging low-lying areas of the Jammu region and causing extensive damage to both public and private property, including vital educational infrastructure.
