Sindh yet to decide if private schools close from tomorrow
An official notification is expected this afternoon.
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The education department has suggested the government to announce holidays in private schools from May 8 till May 11, given the law and order situation ahead of general elections.
On Monday the education department’s additional secretary, Shafiq Mahesar, sent a letter to caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Zahid Kurban Alavi and Chief Secretary Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry, asking them to approve the holidays for privately managed schools.
He stated that the Punjab government had already announced holidays for that period and 90 per cent of private educational institutions had been closed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, keeping in view the situation before the elections. The decision for private schools in Sindh is expected to be made Tuesday afternoon (today).
While talking to The Express Tribune, Mahesar said that academic activities at most public schools had already come to a halt to prepare for election day. The education department had, however, failed to issue an official notification for the closure of public schools, he confirmed.
He said that because of potential threats to owners of private educational institutions, polling stations had been established mostly at public schools. However, some private schools were to serve as polling stations in areas where a public institution is lacking.
Earlier on Monday an erroneous statement was circulated by Syed Khalid Shah, All Private Schools Management Association’s chairperson, which caused quite a stir as a number of news channels aired its contents without verifying them first. Shah had stated that the education department, on the association’s request, had announced holidays in schools from May 8 till May 13. Later on he issued a correction, saying that the ‘expected’ official decision to close schools will be from May 8 till 11.
“Because of continuing violence and the uncertain law and order situation in the wake of strike calls, parents remain extremely apprehensive for their children’s security at schools,” said Shah while explaining his demand for closing schools from May 8.
While talking to The Express Tribune, several parents agreed. “The situation has been so unpredictable lately that I remain worried about the security of my children at school when I’m supposed to give attention to my clients at the office,” said Atiqur Rehman, a lawyer.
Sharfuz Zaman, the chairperson of the Private Schools Management Association, has, however, condemned the demand for closing schools before May 10, declaring it an “unnecessary measure”. He said academic activities had already suffered because of back-to-back strikes and Karachi’s uncertain law and order situation. “Except for those schools which are to serve as the polling stations, the remaining educational institutions should remain open till May 9.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
The education department has suggested the government to announce holidays in private schools from May 8 till May 11, given the law and order situation ahead of general elections.
On Monday the education department’s additional secretary, Shafiq Mahesar, sent a letter to caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Zahid Kurban Alavi and Chief Secretary Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry, asking them to approve the holidays for privately managed schools.
He stated that the Punjab government had already announced holidays for that period and 90 per cent of private educational institutions had been closed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, keeping in view the situation before the elections. The decision for private schools in Sindh is expected to be made Tuesday afternoon (today).
While talking to The Express Tribune, Mahesar said that academic activities at most public schools had already come to a halt to prepare for election day. The education department had, however, failed to issue an official notification for the closure of public schools, he confirmed.
He said that because of potential threats to owners of private educational institutions, polling stations had been established mostly at public schools. However, some private schools were to serve as polling stations in areas where a public institution is lacking.
Earlier on Monday an erroneous statement was circulated by Syed Khalid Shah, All Private Schools Management Association’s chairperson, which caused quite a stir as a number of news channels aired its contents without verifying them first. Shah had stated that the education department, on the association’s request, had announced holidays in schools from May 8 till May 13. Later on he issued a correction, saying that the ‘expected’ official decision to close schools will be from May 8 till 11.
“Because of continuing violence and the uncertain law and order situation in the wake of strike calls, parents remain extremely apprehensive for their children’s security at schools,” said Shah while explaining his demand for closing schools from May 8.
While talking to The Express Tribune, several parents agreed. “The situation has been so unpredictable lately that I remain worried about the security of my children at school when I’m supposed to give attention to my clients at the office,” said Atiqur Rehman, a lawyer.
Sharfuz Zaman, the chairperson of the Private Schools Management Association, has, however, condemned the demand for closing schools before May 10, declaring it an “unnecessary measure”. He said academic activities had already suffered because of back-to-back strikes and Karachi’s uncertain law and order situation. “Except for those schools which are to serve as the polling stations, the remaining educational institutions should remain open till May 9.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.