Thin attendance in offices and educational institutions

WORKING AFTER EID

Islamabad

The government offices and schools in Islamabad reopened on Thursday after Eidul Azha holidays but the presence of officials and students was as thin as it was on the last working day before the religious festival.

The government had announced Eid holidays for its employees and educational institutions from September 12 to 14. However, the government offices, especially those at Pak Secretariat, wore a deserted look on September 9, the last working day before Eid, as the people, mostly non-locals, either availed the leaves or left office early.

Things were no different on Thursday, the first post-Eid working day. Attendance was thin as many of its non-local employees taken additional holiday for September 15 and 16 to extend festivities and thus, making the most of Eidul Azha.

Normalcy is likely to return to government offices on Sept 19 (Monday) on the return of Eid holidaymakers, who have gone to hometowns for Eid. Similar situation was witnessed in the public sector educational institutions. Fewer students went to schools on Thursday, the first day after Eid.

Like government offices, the city’s all public sector educational institutions reopened in the day. However, the schools and colleges run by the private sector kept their campuses shut. They’ll resume classes on September 19 (Monday).

By and large, colleges and universities in Islamabad, too, will reopen the same day. As put by a teacher, most students absented themselves from schools for being in their ancestral towns, where they’ve gone with parents to celebrate Eidul Azha with relatives.

A parent opined the government had better extended Eid holidays until Friday to help schoolchildren make the most of the religious festival. “Thin attendance in schools on the first day after Eid clearly shows the government’s three-day Eid announcement hasn’t sat well with parents, who have preferred Eid celebrations to children rejoining schools. The government should give schoolchildren extended Eid holidays next time instead of ruining their festivity,” he said. A student said Eid lasted three days so asking children to go to school on third Eid day was an injustice.