KARACHI, May 27: While waiting for a decision on a relevant summary from the Sindh chief minister, the education department has made the observance of the July-August summer vacation optional for all private schools in the city.

Private schools director Dr Mansoob A. Siddiqui told Dawn on Sunday that the education secretary had verbally asked him to allow private schools, including the O-level/AKUEB and matric system ones, to observe the June-July summer vacation as usual if they desired so.

A controversy over the implementation of the July-August summer vacation notified after an approval by the chief minister was stirred last week when private schools managements, students and parents in general expressed their opposition to the decision.

They said the idea of changing the summer vacation schedule being observed for years in June and July was not good and was announced quite late as well.

The decision to observe summer vacation in July and August by the Sindh education department was termed belated not only by school managements, but also by the education minister of Sindh who had to offer his apology to parents and students for the late announcement of the vacation schedule.

Last Wednesday, the education secretary succumbing to some private schools management pressure decided to seek a fresh approval from the chief minister for a change in the May 18 notification of the government related to July-August summer vacation.

Dr Siddiqui said that following the verbal directives of the education secretary, his directorate had already started receiving applications from private schools.

Those schools which wanted to observe the summer vacation in July and August were not required to intimate to the directorate, but those wanting to observe the vacation in June and July were required to furnish a formal intimation in this regard to the directorate before observing the vacation, he added.

Another source in the government said that any formal approval from the chief minister was yet to be communicated to the education department.

In the meantime, parents and students telephoned Dawn saying that the education department was unnecessarily creating confusion on the issue.