Lahore – Electricity and gas load-shedding has been disturbing the students especially who are due to appear in exams, Pakistan Today has learnt. Several private schools and universities are conducting exams but students are finding it difficult to prepare themselves for the assigned tasks. During last few days,
the unprecedented and unscheduled load-shedding has lead students to suffer, and the Sui gas load-shedding has only added to their woes. Some areas experience ten hours of power outages while gas situation is
even worse.
Students, who are tasked to prepare assignments, which involve a lot of computer work, have started demanding their parents to buy them laptops. General Assessment Test (GAT) for the admissions in MPhil and Higher Education Commission (HEC) scholarships is also scheduled on Jan 9, in which thousands of students will appear from Lahore.
The students who are appearing in the aforesaid test said that their future was on stake. Primary and middle students are also concerned about this situation and said this hampered their preparation, as their exams were just a month away.
They said the Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) was already confused on various issues and now this load shedding had dented their preparation. Parents said that the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) officials had not justly divided the commercial and residential areas.
They said that the LESCO officials claim to switch off the electricity from 2pm to 4pm and from 8pm to 10pm in commercial areas but most of the residential areas also fall victim.
Mrs Hamza, a mother of three, said that even though she lives in Johar Town’s residential area but still the load-shedding schedule of commercial areas was implemented in her area. She said that 8 to 10 pm was a crucial time slot for students as they had to take dinner and study during these hours.
Bilawal Firdous, a university student, also shared his miseries with Pakistan Today and said, “I have to submit my semester assignments, but whenever I start my work, the power goes off.” He said even during exams, the students had to tackle with this problem in the examination hall,
where sometimes they had to use the cell phones to read the question paper. He said that though he had demanded a laptop from his parents, but he wonders that his parents may not be able to afford it for him. Along with power outages, the gas load-shedding is also irking students. Mothers are especially having problems preparing breakfast and lunch boxes for their children. Abdullah Butt, a prep class kid, said,
“I bath with cold water in the morning. Once I got pneumonia and could not sit in the exams.”
A mother of three who resides in Garden Town, said her children were going to the school without a proper breakfast, even during the exams. She said she had stocked biscuits and other dry edible items, to fill their lunch boxes. Usman Qureshi, a concerned father of two, said he could not switch on the heaters due to gas load-shedding.
He said children had become sensitive and their immunity level had decreased; a small wave of winter could produce serious implications. He said the country’s affairs were going in a negative direction, and consequently his children had found an excuse to run away from studies. Ali Jafffer, another father who runs a shop on Hall Road, said he had faced a financial loss because of load-shedding and it was also impacting the studies of his children.
I have to submit my semester
assignments, but whenever I start my work, the power goes off. I asked my parents to get me a
laptop, but I doubt if they shall be able to afford it
