Barring barely a month for which they functioned in 2021, schools across Kashmir opened for offline education on Wednesday after two years. Smiling children and parents started the day with cheer and happiness on Wednesday as relief was palpable among parents, children and teachers.

All government run and private schools across the Valley have opened. Traffic moved in Srinagar city with the hustle and bustle of a city that seemed to have rebound to active life after months. It was a chorus the city had missed for nearly two years. Children seemed to enjoy the reopening of their schools like a celebration.

"My son kept on asking me since early morning when he would be leaving for school. It was a joy he hardly seemed to be able to contain," said Saima, living in uptown Srinagar city. In the towns and villages the enthusiasm seemed to be equally enthralling.

"I found my daughter polishing her school shoes around 6.30 a.m. Due to cloudy weather, daylight was barely visible when she asked me to show her what she would be wearing today," said Zarina, another mother in north Kashmir Ganderbal district. Officials of the school education department have said it is not necessary for students to wear uniforms for the first few weeks.

"We want the schools to start academic and other activities in the right earnest. It is understandable that all children might not have tidy uniforms available in the beginning. Those students who don't have their uniforms ready in the beginning can come in casuals," said an official of the school education department.

Asked about their feelings when they attended schools in the absence of children, Shabir Ahmad, a government school teacher said, "We felt like gardeners would feel in a garden without any flowers." Thanks to the receding pandemic, schools across Kashmir have got their blooming flowers back. It is hoped that both teachers and children adhere to the required SoPs to ensure that the pandemic stays at bay without interfering with the lives and careers of children.