Rawalpindi:
Supported by parents, All Pakistan Private Schools and Management Association (Appsma) announced Wednesday that it was intended to challenge in Rawalpindi bench in the Lahore High Court (LHC) Punjab’s decision to keep public and private schools closed until August 31.
Parents have condemned the provincial education department’s steps to only allow classes 9 and 10 to open again, and describe it as inadequate and express regret that other classes remain excluded.
They said that repeated and unannounced closures have placed their children’s futures in danger.
The decision to extend the summer holidays until August 31, they added, would be disputed in court. In their written petition, the petries claim that the extension is unjustified. They note that in other provinces as well as in all educational institutions under the federal government, academic activities continue.
In Rawalpindi, federal government schools remain open, while under the Punjab administration they are closed – a situation they claim constitutes discrimination against Punjab’s educational institutions and is not allowed under the law.
They also claim that the Punjab government’s review, which extends the summer holidays, mentions no valid reason. According to section 12 of the Punjab Private Education Institutions Act, the authority can only declare holidays in the event of emergencies such as earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters.
The petition also maintains that education is a fundamental right to children who cannot be denied under any circumstances. The court has been asked to suspend the Punjab government’s review, which extends the summer holidays to enable an immediate resumption of teaching activities in schools.
