Schools in Lahore reopen today but missionary institutes indecisive

LAHORE: While all public and most of private educational institutions are reopening on Monday (today) as announced by the Punjab government, but most of the missionary schools of Lahore have yet to decide about reopening of their campuses.
A number of missionary schools on Sunday sent messages to students and their parents for closure of their campuses until further orders. However, it is learnt that prominent missionary schools of the city including Saint Anthony, Sacred Heart and Convent, etc will be reopening on Tuesday (tomorrow).
The public and private educational institutions across Punjab were closed after the December 16 Peshawar school attack as the government announced earlier winter break starting from December 19, 2014. The schools, colleges and universities were supposed to reopen on January 5, 2015 but the government extended the vacation as most of the institutes had failed to ensure required security arrangements by that time.
Meanwhile in a press release the Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) has suggested the Punjab government to make scouting as mandatory for students of class-8 and matriculation, ensure first-aid box at all schools and monitor vendors outside the schools and different school opening and closing timings in a particular locality, etc as part of security measures for educational institutions.