Back to school: Attendance in public schools remains low after summer break

Elementary and secondary education department officials visit schools on first day of term.

PESHAWAR:

Students donned their uniforms and boarded their school buses on Monday as all government schools in the province and a few private ones reopened after a three-month long summer vacation.

Officials of the elementary and secondary education department also visited public schools in Peshawar and observed students’ attendance was comparatively lower in government-run schools than private schools.

Elementary and Secondary Education Additional Secretary Qaisar Alam said, “The purpose of the visit was to record the attendance of students and teaching staff and also to identify the problems they might be facing.

However, the officials were shocked to see that students’ attendance was between 30-40% while teachers’ attendance was around 95%.”

Alam added their visit on the first day of school was a clear message that the department will not compromise on attendance.

He said the provincial education directorate has been directed to convene a meeting of the Parents Teachers Council on September 9 to discuss why students and some teachers remained absent.

The meeting will also highlight problems faced by schools so that the issues can be addressed at the earliest.

“We have told the education directorate to ensure 100% attendance of both teachers and students,” Alam said.

Parents said it was difficult to get their children ready in time for school.  “My daughter Siddiqa fell asleep immediately after having breakfast since she has gotten used to waking up late in the morning during the summer vacations,” said Mrs Shabbir Ahmad. She added she refused to let Siddiqa take the day off as that would encourage her to take more holidays.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2013.