Parents reject move to reopen private schools

LAHORE:While a faction of private schools associations has announced moving court for reopening of private schools, parents have rejected the same saying safety of their children was more important than education because of the ever-increasing Coronavirus cases.

All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) president Kashif Mirza while appealing to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff demanded reopening of the schools so as to save students from further academic loss and to run financial affairs of these schools.

While rejecting reports vis-à-vis closure of educational institutions until August 2020, he said the association would move court so that the schools are reopened at the earliest. He claimed that the association had developed SOPs to protect students during the pandemic.

However, this appeal has been rejected by most of the parents who have expressed confidence in the government’s announcement vis-à-vis the closure of educational institutions.

Talking to The News, a number of parents said that social distancing was impossible in already overcrowded schools and added the so-called SOPs could not be implemented as there had been general violation regarding such SOPs even in public places. Asif, a father of two, said he would not send his kids to schools unless the situation got normalised and officially announced by the government. He said to him safety of his children and family was more important than education at the moment. Another parent, Farrukh, said private schools could never ensure implementation of SOPs in the prevailing situation and schoolchildren being quite young could get in trouble. “Who will be responsible, if God forbid, something bad happens?” he questioned. He demanded the government ensure that the SOPs already announced for public places are properly implemented in order to protect people against Covid-19.

Khurram, yet another parent, said because of the pandemic he was teaching his children himself and suggested others to follow the same to protect their loved ones and to save students from academic loss.

Ayesha, a mother of three, said she could not take risk of sending her children to school under the prevailing circumstances and demanded the government not to be pressurised by private schools.

It is pertinent to mention that the Punjab government has already announced taking stern action against private schools for violating its instructions vis-à-vis closure of educational institutions in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

However, despite the Punjab government’s instructions a number of private schools have been calling their entire teaching and non-teaching staff on duties on daily basis. The Punjab government has allowed private schools to keep their campuses open on every Monday and Tuesday during the month of June for fee collection and other administrative affairs, including disbursement of salaries to the staff without violating the SOPs.