Primary school students, parents saddened in Punjab

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The school students of primary classes and particularly their parents were jolted on August 18 when the Punjab government announced that even if schools are to be reopened next month then only the students from class six and above would be allowed. 

"This year students of class one to five will not be allowed to go to schools, the provincial Minister, Murad Raas, declared. The schools, besides other educational institutions, have remained shut since the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19) broke out earlier this year. 

He went on to state that if the schools are reopened from September15, only the students from class six to 10 would be allowed to attend. 

The announcement has saddened the primary students who eagerly awaited taking classes in the environment of their schools rather than undergoing the torture of online classes locked in their homes, which they have generally found boring and mindless. 

The parents of the primary school students in particular have been vocal in condemning the school management for engaging their kids in online classes and activities which were proving counterproductive besides inconveniencing all family members at home.