RAWALPINDI: Higher educational institutions and secondary schools, both in private and public sector, in Rawalpindi are observing separate winter vacation schedule due to lack of coordination between different sections of the Punjab Education Department.

As per the notification issued by the Higher Education Department (HED) Punjab, the public and private sector higher education institutions had been observing winter holidays from Dec 23 to Jan 6 whereas educational institutions in 12 other districts will go on winter break from Jan 3 to 13th.

As the mercury dropped to 1 degree Celsius, parents find it difficult to send their children to school in the biting cold. Besides, different schedules have also disturbed holiday plans of parents.

Punjab School Education Minister Murad Raas had recently announced that winter vacations in all public and private schools in 24 districts would start from Dec 23, whereas a notification issued by the School Education Department (SED) Punjab says that schools in rest of the 12 districts would observe vacation from Jan 3 to 13th.

The notification reads that in view of the instructions of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and ongoing vaccination drive in schools, all educational institutions in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Mianwali, Attock, Muzaffargarh, Chakwal, Bhakkar, Rajanpur, Layyah, Rahimyar Khan, D.G. Khan and Chiniot shall remain closed for winter vacation from Jan 3 to 13th while in the other 24 districts, winter vacation had started from Dec 23 to Jan 6.

“It is strange that students of primary and secondary schools are going to their education institutions in cold weather but the college and university students are on holidays. This cold can affect the health of small children,” said Mohammad Nasir, father of a student in Lalazar.

Abdul Qayum said he was from Gujrat and spent winter vacation in his native town but this year, due to different holiday schedules, his plans have been disturbed.

“My elder daughter is in college and she is on vacation while my two sons are in primary and are going to school,” he said.

He said when his daughter’s college would open, his sons would go on a winter break, adding that, “this spoke volumes about the lack of coordination between two sections of the same department”.

When contacted, District Education Authority Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Azam Kashif said as per directions of the provincial government, the schools in public and private sector would start winter vacation from Jan 3.

He said the government had said that the NCOC’s directions should be followed. However, he said the Punjab Education Department allowed 24 districts to start the winter vacations from Dec 23 due to fog or smog.

He said in Rawalpindi district, educational institutions in Murree, Kotli Sattian and Nar Union Council of Kahuta had been observing winter vacations since Dec 23, which would continue till March 4 as these areas received snow during this period.

He said it was the government’s duty to announce the winter vacation and the authority implemented in public and private-sector education institutions.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2021