SRINAGAR: Schools and colleges in Kashmir will re-open on February 24 after a nearly three-month-long winter break. Most of these institutions had closed early for winter amid uncertainty over the situation in the Valley.Director of school education (Kashmir) Mohammad Younis Malik said school timings would be from 10.30am to 3pm in urban areas and 10.30am to 3.30pm in rural areas, adding that all arrangements had been made for academic activities to return to normal.Malik said that with the start of a new session, education officers must put their heads together to provide better opportunities to students. He said that last year, after schools were shut for an extended period following the revocation of J&K’s special status, students proved their mettle by continuing their studies through home tutorials and projects. Now, it is the duty of the education administration to extend support and ensure that students and their teachers get enough time to complete the syllabus, he said.Field officers have been instructed to visit schools regularly and monitor the progress of academic activities. Malik said the performance of teachers in winter tutorials had been satisfactory, hoping that they bring new enthusiasm into the coming session.Schools, colleges and universities across Kashmir Valley were shut following abrogation of Article 370 in August last year. The schools were eventually opened in phases to prevent untoward law and order incidents in Kashmir.