Punjab Study

Rawalpindi:The schoolchildren in Rawalpindi are facing an agonising situation both at schools as well as homes because of long-hours electricity loadshedding in the peak summer season.

The minor children keep on sweating in the hot and humid classrooms all the time and hardly learn anything in the schools, however, the government has no plan to give any kind of respite to the children as well as public. Many students fall unconscious in the schools while the nose bleeding cases are rampant because of scorching heat coupled with the log-hours loadshedding.

Students could not pay proper attention to their education in this situation. Talking to ‘The News’ some kids said that neither they get electricity at schools nor at home then who they could study in the extremely hot weather. Parents said that school managements should start summer vacations early otherwise children would face several heat-related diseases.

Executive District Officer (EDO) Education Qazi Zahoor-ul-Haq when contacted by ‘The News’ admitting the fact said that the Punjab government has decided to start summer vacations from June 1st. Students are facing worst situation in classes due to long-hours of forced loadshedding, he said.

Rawalpindi Association of Private Schools (RAPS) President Captain (r) Ameer-ud-Din said that how the children could stay for six to seven hours in schools without fans. Majority of schools could not afford UPS or generators because of their poor financial resources, he said. At least, the government should provide electricity to educational institutions, he said. He also said that in the best interest of the children private schools would start summer vacations early.

Dr Semaab Qaiser, a school principal, said that little souls keep on sweating all the time in classes and nose bleeding is frequent among them. “We are facing 41degree Celsius temperature but the government has turned a deaf ear and not doing anything to provide uninterrupted electricity,” she said.

She said that majority of children remained absent because of long hours loadshedding that badly affects their studies. Muhammad Riaz, a local asked that where the tax money gone, which we are paying regularly. Why the concerned authority is not buying furnace oil to produce electricity, why the higher authorities not taking action? Public is dying because of loadshedding but the bosses are smiling, he said.

Khurram Ahmed, a child of prep class in a private school said that he would not come to school because there are no fans. “I have fans in my home but not operating due to absent of light all the time I could not sit in a water tub at home but not in school,” he said.The news