‘Winter vacations should start from Jan 3, not 20th’

The Sindh Home Department on Saturday issued a notification to revise the schedule of winter vacations for educational institutions in the province from January 3 instead of earlier notified December 20 (Monday).

On Friday, the Sindh Education Department had issued a notification for the winter vacations, stating that they would be observed from December 20 to January 1.

However, All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association Chairman Haider Ali rejected the letter of the Sindh Home Department, saying that winter vacations have already started in Sindh. As Saturday and Sunday are weekly holidays for schools and the education department’s holidays’ notification was issued on Friday, the administration departments of educational institutions will face hardships in informing the students about the revised schedule.

The Sindh Home Department’s notification is in line with the recommendation of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The Sindh Home Department issued three notifications; one on holidays, the other on Christmas coronavirus guidelines and the third on the expansion of Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the transport sector.

The first notification said that the winter vacations should be rescheduled and should start from January. The home department has forwarded its recommendations to schools, colleges and universities as directed by the NCOC.

The second notification stated that people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus should be allowed to attend Christmas celebrations. “Windows and doors of churches should be kept open on Christmas Eve to allow air to pass through, as a precautionary measure against the virus.”

It stated that mobile vaccines should be set up around all churches so that those who have not been vaccinated can be vaccinated.

In the third notification, the Sindh Home Department has said that on the directions of the NCOC, the transport department has been directed to launch a full-fledged coronavirus vaccination campaign by December 26.

Meanwhile, the All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association chairman said that all the provinces were taking holidays as per their schedule, adding that the issue of holidays had been unnecessarily protracted for the last one week, while federal intervention in the provincial affairs was unnecessary.

Ali accused the Federal Ministry of Education of being frivolous and lacking decision-making power.

“Winter holidays are a matter of every year. Aren't the provinces capable of fixing it themselves?

“The sub-committee of the steering committee in Sindh has fixed the holidays on the instructions of the Sindh education minister.”

He appealed to the Sindh education minister to stop the second notification from being issued. “Schools, parents and teachers have already set up their own programmes [for winter vacations].”