ISLAMABAD - All public and private schools and colleges will be opened on Thursday (today). The educational institutes were closed from Monday due to long march that has not been ended yet.
The Ministry of Capital Administration and Development announced that all public institutes working under Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) would be opened.
As the march is peaceful and routine life has been going on normally in the city, the ministry has decided to open the institutes because there is a little time left in the final exams that will commence in the first week of March, said the Ministry of CAD Spokesperson Rafique Tahir.
Representatives of private schools’ association also announced that all private educational institutes would resume regular classes from Thursday, January 17. And those schools, which are situated in the vicinity of long march, were advised to take necessary security measures.
APP adds: The educational institutes in the federal capital were giving a deserted look following the long march and the study schedule of the students had been badly affected.
The authorities concerned announced the closure of schools and colleges on day-to-day basis through media. Every day, several children reached their schools and colleges bearing the chill weather and crowded public transport, but returned desperately knowing the closure of their institutes.
The students are perturbed over the prevailing situation and parents were worried that their children would not get good grades in the examination due to disruption in their study schedule.
The education authorities were left with no choice but to close down the institutions indefinitely as the participants of long march made it clear that they will converge on Islamabad, for a prolonged sit-in.
The prevailing situation has also compelled some educational institutions to reschedule their ongoing admission tests, terminal and other examinations of different classes that would ultimately affect the compilation of results.
Tahir Mehmood, a teacher told APP that Postgraduate College for Women, F-7/2 had scheduled its December Tests in January, but cancelled the papers on January 14 and 15 realising that the students might not reach there owing to road blockade. Similarly, Margalla College has decided to start its December Tests from January 21 depending on the normalcy in situation, he said.
International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) has rescheduled all the admission tests of Spring 2013 Semester and Terminal Examinations of Fall 2012 Semester, earlier to be held on January 13, 14 and 15. “The closure of institutes and rescheduling of exams and tests is creating psychological impact on minds of students” Amjad Khan, a father said.
The disruption of educational routine will unsettle the students who studied hard all year and were now preparing themselves for the annual exams, he said. Fouzia Afzal, a teacher at a local college said the prevailing political situation is creating problems for the students especially for the girls who travel daily from far-flung areas.
The situation will impact the annual results of the students if the situation pervades for long as they will be unable to complete their syllabus in time, she said.
“Students suffer psychologically when there is unrest on the roads and sense of insecurity lingers on”, Shagufta, a mother of three school-going children said. “I am concerned about the positions of my children in annual results this year. The sense of insecurity and uncertainty has perturbed the students besides disturbing their study routine adding psychological pressure”, she added.