Education dept planning to extend summer vacations

The Punjab School Education Department (SED) is planning to extend summer vacations due to Ramadan and hot weather, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Parents have urged the Punjab government to extend the holidays so that students could utilise Ramadan and make the most out of Eid. Earlier, the education department announced summer vacations from June 1 to August 14 but now according to sources, the holidays might be extended until August 31. The SED also extended summer vacations last year to facilitate students. Various private schools have already announced that schools would reopen after Eid. Some parents lauded the idea of the government while some others criticised it saying that it would waste precious academic time of students.
Department officers also suggested high-ups to extend the vacations. Lahore Executive District Officer (EDO) Education Pervez Akhtar told Pakistan Today that there is a huge probability that the SED would extend summer vacations, as it was done last year but a final decision would be taken by the department secretary after determining the weather situation on August 12 or 13. He said that he would suggest extending holidays until September 1.
The All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) would lock horns with the SED if the latter decides to extend the holidays, as APPSMA President Adeeb Javedani criticised the idea of the SED saying that they would resist the decision. He claimed that according to the education code, the Punjab government could not give holidays for more than 70 days. Javedani said that there are only 45 days of summer vacations in India where weather is the same as Pakistan. The APPSMA president said that children of politicians study abroad and they are not concerned about what is happening with education in the country.
Teachers also had a mixed response with some saying that extension of holidays would ease their routine, as teachers living outside towns would come back after celebrating Eid while some teachers claimed that classes are well behind their curriculum and need ample time for preparation of exams. They said that the academic session kicked-off on April 1 after which they were assigned for the Census and did not get enough time to go through the course. Teachers said that summer camps had failed, as only 10 to 15 percent students attended the session in intense heat.
On the other hand, students were quite happy saying that they wanted to go to school after Eid and now their desire would be fulfilled. Mrs Umer told Pakistan Today that she had to make Sehri for the family and it becomes extremely difficult to prepare children while fasting. She claimed that attendance would be too low during Ramadan and teachers might not be able to teach properly. Universities in Punjab would also reopen after Eid. Students said that load shedding would double in daytime during Ramadan and miseries of students would also maximise.