Schools to conduct three hours classes during summer vacation?

LAHORE: Schools have demanded that summer camps be held during the summer vacations due to academic disruptions. The camps will be held from 7:00 am to 10:00 am.

Private schools across Punjab have sought formal permission from the government to hold summer camps during the long summer vacations. School owners say that students are suffering from a large-scale educational loss due to the recent undeclared holidays and academic disruptions.

Representative organizations of private schools have suggested to the government that summer camps be allowed to be held from 7:00 am to 10:00 am, as the weather is pleasant in the morning, which will enable students to continue their studies while staying safe from extreme heat and heatwaves.

School owners say that frequent holidays have disrupted the academic calendar, which is creating a ‘learning gap’ among students. Summer camps will be helpful in reducing this educational loss.

Sources in the School Education Department say that in the past, summer camps have usually been allowed for a month, but this year the situation may be different. The final decision in this regard will be taken only after the formal approval of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

On the other hand, registration in the Punjab Safety App has been made mandatory for private schools. A meeting of private schools was held under the chairmanship of CEO Education Lahore, Tariq Mahmood, in which building fitness and hygienic certificates were made mandatory for registration.

The meeting was attended by Assistant Director Ghulam Mustafa Hamdani, Head of Pak Education Board Qazi Naeem Anjum, M Shahid Noor, CEO Apex Group Amjad Ali, M Shahid Noor, Kashif Adib, Khalid Mahmood, and others.

Tariq Mahmood said on this occasion that private schools must register in the Punjab Safety App. Out of 6,000 schools, 600 have registered in the Safety App. CCTV cameras should be installed immediately.

CEO Education Tariq Mahmood further said that provision of bus service to fifty percent of the students should be ensured.