Finding closure: For the CM, it’s an open and shut case

Students find themselves in a fix amid clash over end of summer holidays

KARACHI:

Private school owners wanted to reopen schools today. The education secretary, Fazalullah Pechuho, had ordered to extend vacations till August 11, in view of the flood-like situation developing in the province. After much huffing and puffing and warning the school owners of strict action in case of defiance, he finally relented on Saturday night and acquiesced to the owners’ demands, allowing them to reopen today.

This time around, the chief minister put his foot down. He refused to entertain the summary sent by the education secretary. “End the confusion. Schools across Sindh will reopen on August 11.” Meanwhile, the private school owners’ associations pledged to defy the government’s orders, come what may. Some private schools sent text messages to their students and staff, informing them that the school would open today. Amidst all the contradicting statements and clash of egos, the students desperately tried to make sense of the chaos and ascertain when they have to go to school.



“It has been four days since news of the probable extension of vacations started being aired,” said Rehana Wahab, the mother of two school-going children. “Someone says schools will open, then suddenly another person says they will not.”

The start of chaos

The chaos triggered off on July 29, when the education secretary sent a proposal to the office of the chief secretary to extend the summer vacations in Sindh till August 11. The proposal was accepted by the chief minister on July 30, while Pechuho issued a notification in this regard on July 31. The decision was taken keeping in view expected rains and developing flood-like situation in the province.

Too many associations

Subsequently, the All Private Schools Management Association (APSMA), Sindh, the Public Private Management Association and the Private Schools Management Association protested the decision and demanded that areas and districts which were not affected by rains and floods be exempted from these orders.

The associations claimed that since Karachi was not likely to be affected by the rains or floods, the extension in vacations would unnecessarily affect studies and Independence Day celebrations. After two days of protests and negotiations, Pechuho acquiesced to the associations’ demands. “The decision was made for only those districts which were not affected by rain or floods,” Pechucho told The Express Tribune late on Saturday. His summary was, however, rejected by the chief minister.

On Sunday, the chairperson of PEAK Private Schools Management Association, Haider Ali, and APSMA chairperson Syed Khalid Shah announced to protest on August 3 at the Karachi Press Club. “The heads and school administrations will record their protest against the warning to cancel our licenses,” Ali told The Express Tribune. Subsequently, the protest was called off.

Later in the evening, the president of PEAK Private Schools Association, Syed Shahzad Akhtar, announced that the 5,000 schools affiliated with them would reopen on August 12, in line with the orders of the Sindh government.

To each their own

All schools falling under the Catholic Board of Education and Church of Pakistan, Beaconhouse School System, Falcon House Grammar Schools, Dhaka group of educational institutions and Habib Girls Schools will reopen from August 11. The City School ends their summer vacations on August 18.

Karachi Public School and Saint Joseph’s Convent School have circulated messages to their students that they would reopen today. The CAS school will reopen on August 5.

The Aga Khan Board spokesperson told The Express Tribune that the board has nothing to do with this issue; it would be up to the respective schools’ administration to decide.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2015.