Private schools stay open despite public holiday

Many schools claim they did not receive holiday notification

LAHORE: A number of private schools remained open on Tuesday despite announcement of a local holiday by the local government on the last day of the urs of Data Ganj Baksh and the chehlum of Imam Hussain (RA) on Tuesday.

DCO Ahad Cheema had on Monday announced a local holiday for Tuesday. A team headed by the executive district officer (Education) visited different schools of the city and ordered closure of those, which were open. Many school owners refused to shut down, saying that they had not received any official notification from the Education Department.

The team visited many areas of the city. Schools in Awan Town, Iqbal Town, Shadman, Samanabad, Model Town and Gulberg remained closed, however, those in Johar Town, Faisal Town, Sabzazar, Wapda Town, DHA and Cavalry Ground remained open, but no action was taken against them.

Some of the students and teachers showed frustration with school owners and administrations. A student of grade 7, whose school was open, said that the school administration should have observed a holiday just as some other schools had. Some teachers expressed reservations over their schools’ administrations’ decision not to close their schools. While school administrations said that they had not received any notification of a holiday. They said that had they received any notification they would have also announced a holiday.

However, all public and private universities remained closed. Punjab University, Government College University, Forman Christian University, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and University of Engineering and Technology also remained closed. Many universities postponed their internal examinations.