KARACHI: In an unexpected development, the Sindh Education Department recently announced that the provincial school academic year is to be altered so that it starts in April instead of August, despite the fact that the August-start schedule was decided upon last year after much deliberation.

A Jan 12 meeting of the department’s steering committee, which was attended by stakeholders from all over the province, announced that schools had reached a consensus on the proposed April to March academic calendar.

A week later, however, this newspaper received and published a charged letter written by the owner of a private school who challenged the announcement for having been based on an “imaginary consensus” and said that in fact, many schools opposed the change to the academic calendar. This was followed by some other, similar letters, one of which stated that dissenting voices at the steering committee’s meeting had been drowned out by “an overwhelming majority” that banged on desks and shouted.

The real motives behind the sudden change in the academic schedule, and that too during a caretaker government, may remain available to only a select few. The Sindh Education Department, however, cites the miseries of summer faced by school children across the province as the reason behind the decision. In favour of the April start is the fact that early examinations, held before the onset of the March heat-wave, would save children from having to sweat through the final examinations, particularly in view of a likely future of heavy load-shedding.

“I showed a survey of schools, mostly in interior Sindh, that want the academic calendar to start in April,” said Khalid Shah, a private school owner who also heads the All Private Schools Association of institutions that charge a monthly fee of less than Rs1,500.

Though feeling for the plight of hapless school children, the provincial education department is also attempting to establish strictly-implemented ground rules that must be followed by private schools. “We want to streamline the process of education all over the province, implement the laws and make sure they are observed,” said Mansub Siddiqui, Director Private Schools. “Although April has been the start of the academic calendar for years, many private schools flout the law by starting their school year in August.”

It is true that for many years, schools in the province began their academic year in April. After much deliberation, however, it was decided last year that the academic year would henceforth start from August.

Teaching days reduced

The proponents of the August to May calendar cannot understand why last year’s decision has been overturned so suddenly merely because of high temperatures. They point out that it took many consultative meetings with education officials and a former minister to have the authorities recognise the wisdom of an August start.

Their view is that the August to May academic calendar is more realistic and is recognised all almost over the world. It has comparatively more teaching days (the Ministry of Education requires a maximum count of 180 teaching days on an academic calendar) while children begin the new session after a refreshing summer break from textbook learning. The summer vacations should be free of homework and compulsion of any kind, they maintain, and children should return to school prepared for the roughly 10-month session ahead.

The proponents of the August to May schedule further point out that in this schedule, teachers and school committees get ample time to mark copies and develop plans for the next year. Meanwhile, as a mother of three children told Dawn, “An April start means that parents take a financial hit since they will have to account for the June and July school fees, syllabus requirements and school books. This is an expense they usually space out during the summer holidays when the academic year starts in August.”

Delays in provision of textbooks

The Sindh Education Department’s announcement regarding an April start must also be viewed in light of the rising but troubling trend of delays in textbooks reaching the students. The Sindh Textbook Board has already hinted at a delay in the distribution of books this year; if students don’t receive books in time, perhaps the decision for an April or August start becomes irrelevant.

In education circles, however, the issue has become controversial.

“Such interference is quite regrettable,” said Mrs Nargis Alavi, a seasoned educationist and the principal of Habib Public School. “An April to March session leaves fewer teaching days, almost two months less during April and May.”

On the other hand, private schools in favour of an April start refer to the stated advantages of an August start as evidence of “a colonial mindset.” Although some of these schools concede that there may be a fewer number of teaching days in an April to March session, most stand convinced by the argument that Sindh faces a peculiar weather situation and soaring temperatures. Representatives of these schools argue that once children take their examinations and are promoted to higher classes in March, they can look forward to a two-month summer break after having familiarised themselves with the new syllabus for two weeks and some homework.

Abuse of power

The strained relationship between private schools and the education department takes a heavy toll on quality education.

On their part, private schools claim that they filled the void left after public schools were nationalised by the Bhutto government during the 1970s. And while the Ministry of Education wants some sanity is terms of quality education, it remains embroiled in successive controversies: last year’s news, for example, concerned a rift between the former chief minister and the education minister which resulted in the delay of placement orders for textbooks.

“Officers in the ministry show commitment in all honesty on the table but under the table, massive abuses of power are taking place,” said the owner of a private school on the condition of anonymity. According to this owner, favours extracted from private schools include pressure to take admissions and fee reductions.

There is also the issue that the recent decision was taken during a caretaker set-up.

“How can an interim minister take a decision on any matter when he is only supposed to supervise the smooth sailing of the state of affairs and then take a bow after the elections?” asked Professor Anita Ghulam Ali, former education minister and now the managing director of the Sindh Education Foundation. Furthermore, she said that having worked with schools in Sindh for years, she cannot understand why the summer heat necessitates a change in the academic schedule.

Sources also pointed out that the interim education minister’s wife runs a private school and is also contesting the upcoming elections. Critics raised the possibility that many votes had been promised for an April-start decision since it benefits invigilators/teachers who are employed during the SSC examinations almost throughout the summer vacations.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education awaits the final decision regarding an April or August start in the province’s schools after an inter-provincial meeting scheduled for Feb 4. The issue hinges on whether the ministry feels the heat.

Holidays for private schools in Sindh during 2007

Holiday Number of days taken off

Summer holidays 75

Winter vacations 10 (extended to 18 days last year)

Exams/result preparation 20

Total: 105 (= 15 weeks)

2-day weekends (Saturday & Sunday) 74

Religious holidays:

Ashura 2

Chehlum 1

Eid milad-un-nabi 1

Shab-e-Barat 1

Shab-e-Mairaj 1

Eid-ul fitr 3

Eid-ul-Azha 3

Total: 13

Other gazetted holidays:

Kashmir day (Feb 5) 1

Pakistan Resolution Day (March 23) 1

Labour Day (May 1) 1

Independence Day (August 14) 1

Quaid death anniversary (Sept 11) 1

Iqbal’s death anniversary (Nov 9) 1

Total: 6

Provincial/local holidays:

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s Urs 1

Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s Urs 2

Total: 3

Unscheduled holidays: 10 (average per year)

Total holidays per year 211 (= approximately 30 weeks)

— Courtesy: Teachers Resource Centre