Parents demand extension in winter break

Recent cold wave comes along with seasonal diseases such as flu, cold and fever


​ Our Correspondents January 08, 2020
PHOTO: Reuters

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: Parents are anxious about the reluctance of the Federal Director of Education (FDE) on the extension in winter vacations amid the extreme cold across the country.

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments have delayed reopening of schools due to the sharp dip in mercury level across the country. However, the FDE has not concluded the important matter.

The recent cold wave has come along with seasonal diseases such as flu, cold and fever and the parents are worried that sending their children to schools in the cold mornings would make them more vulnerable.

It has been learnt that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) is receiving up to 1,500 patients daily, from every age group, who are affected by seasonal diseases such as cold, flu and fever.

Meanwhile, the Met office has predicted that the current cold wave would persist across the country.

IN PICTURES: Snow and rainfall across Pakistan

Several parents, contacted by The Express Tribune, complained that the classrooms had no heating system. Moreover, windowpanes, as well as doors, were also broken in many government schools leaving students, teachers and other staff exposed to the elements.

They demanded that the federal education minister take notice of the situation. The parents said that most of the students were staying home as they were down with cold and fever therefore, they suggested, the winter vacations should be extended until the temperature gets bearable for children.

Meanwhile, The Express Tribune also tried to contact FDE Director General (DG) Umair Javed and federal education minister but both could not be reached.

Intermediate exams

The education boards across Punjab have decided to conduct intermediate examinations from April 28.

All nine Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) have also released the schedule for online admissions.

In this regard, the Rawalpindi BISE Spokesperson Arsalan Cheema told The Express Tribune the due date for form submission was January 30 whereas, for submission with double and triple fees, the dates were February 10 and 17 respectively.

He said that those candidates appearing for the first time in the examination would have to pay Rs1,950 fee in total including Rs1,000 as registration, Rs425 as processing and Rs525 as certificate fees.

More wet and cold weather predicted

Cheema said that students appearing in composite exams would have to pay Rs600 separately. Moreover, he announced that there would be no further extension in the given dates.

Delay demanded

Meanwhile, All Pakistan Private School Management Association (APPSMA) and teachers' organisations have called for delaying intermediate examinations due to prolonged winter vacations.

In this regard, the APPSMA President Abrar Ahmed Khan and office-bearers of teachers’ organisation including Basharat Iqbal Raja, Shafiq Bhalwaliya said that this year, the boards were conducting all examinations including matric and intermediate ahead of the scheduled time.

They demanded that the exams should be taken on the usual previous dates and warned that if the decision was not reversed, the fail ratio would remain eminent in the results.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2020.

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