Early school vacations likely

Extreme hot weather has disturbed academic activities, especially for children in small private schools because of poor facilities in classrooms.

The situation is alarming in the schools operating in small buildings in cities, including Lahore, which even lack adequate facilities of fans and water. Students in remote districts also suffer during the closing and mid-day hours of schools when the temperature rises.

The Punjab government is likely to consider closing the educational institutions in the province because of the harsh weather and a meeting for the purpose is expected later this week.

The increasing temperature during the past week made it difficult for young children to study in in the congested classrooms.

The worst situation is being faced in small schools constructed in violation of rules that lack the facilities required to continue academic activities.

Most of these schools are set up in about five-marla buildings that lack proper lighting, fans, water and ventilation. Parents were forced to admit their children such schools because affordability.

At a time when the summer season is at its peak and a heatwave alert has been issued, the students are suffering because of lack of adequate arrangements by the school administrations to cope with the problems.

The relevant authorities had issued the heatwave alert, warning that the temperature would increase across the province in coming days and advising the district administrations to remain alert and make arrangements to cope with the situation.

The Punjab Schools Education Department had been informed that there was a risk of a heatwave from May 15 to 19 and advised it to make precautionary arrangements, warning that the temperature could increase by four to seven degrees Celsius.

An advice had also been issued to set up heatwave counters in hospitals, while cases of heart stroke are already being reported.

However, the school education department appears to have failed to persuade the institutions to make the arrangements and is left only with the option of closure of schools.

When a similar situation arose last year, the education ministry closed the schools in the last week of May and started online classes.

As per the academic calendar, summer holidays in schools are scheduled from June 1 till August 9.