ISLAMABAD, Mar 2 (APP):The decision of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to keep Saturday working in all its educational institutions is putting extra burden on the students as well as their parents who were unable to manage transport for sending their children to school, causing thin attendance.
According to an official source, the decision of keeping Saturday working was taken without any prior planning and consultation with the parents, Parent-Teachers Associations (PTA), the heads of institutions and teachers who are directly concerned and affected by the decision.
The dearness-struck parents who had hardly managed transport for their children find it almost impossible to manage transport on Saturday which is an additional day.
It is notable, during the whole week; many people drop their children in schools and colleges on their way to offices.
Many of the lady teachers and girls also go to schools and colleges with male members of the family who are at home due to Saturday off. This additional burden on these people is a great source of mental and physical agony for them and affects badly on their performance in rest of the days of the week.
Many parents drop their children in their schools and reach their office as a routine. To get up early on Saturday, exclusively to give pick and drop to the children is not only an extra burden on them but also makes their relaxing holiday completely busy and exhausting.
A principal of a Girls School, on the condition of anonymity, said that the decision has nothing to do with the coverage of courses because keeping in view the previous academic routine with Saturday off, the duration of periods had already been enhanced and the teachers on their part were following the routine to complete their courses well in time.
Instead, most of the students feel an additional burden and their working efficiency have been decreased, the principal said while talking to APP on Tuesday.
Another principal of a college said that there was extremely low turnout of the student in my college on Saturday so it was not a good decision to keep Saturday on.
To me, engaging students in institutions on Saturdays is wastage of resources and additional burden on the students and their parents.
Muhammad Adnan, a father of a student of class V, criticized the decision and said that in the previous routine, his daughter showed better performance and felt fresh on the beginning of the week.
Moreover, the aggregating homework from the rest of the week, she would complete on weekends. With Saturday on, the recreational period of the child has been reduced which may leave adverse effects on his physical and mental growth.
Shagufta Naeem, another parent said, when all the government departments were enjoying the facility of Saturdays off, why the students and teachers were compelled to attend schools and colleges on the off day.
“My son studying in the Grade-I gets exhausted while going to school six days a week,” she said while urging the concerned authorities to at least give some relaxation to the students of smaller grades.
