Students call for closure of govt colleges

Students and parents urge Punjab government to announce early summer vacations due to persistent heat wave

MULTAN: As temperatures soared to 45 degrees Celsius in many parts of South Punjab, students from several government colleges held a protest at Chungi No 9, demanding their institutions start summer vacation immediately.

Students and parents alike gathered to urge the Punjab government to announce summer vacations. Pupils from Government Civil Limes College, Government Emerson College, Government Willayat Hussain College, Government Alamdar Hussain College and Government College for Woman (Chungi No 6) were among the protesters.

“All universities and schools have been closed for the past week, but government colleges are still open,” said Yusra, a graduate student.

Aarish Alam, a commerce student, said that Bahauddin Zakariya University has announced summer vacation, but college authorities were reluctant to announce summer break.

Our colleges have also not rescheduled their timings for Ramazan. It is very difficult to attend college from 8am to 1:30pm while fasting, especially without electricity, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2018.