KARACHI: Thousands of schools will open on Monday (today) after prolonged winter vacation amid anxiety within parents and officials alike over insufficient security in and outside most educational institutions, particularly after the Dec 16 massacre in a Peshawar school.

Officials in the provincial education department said they decided against further extending the winter vacation in the larger interest of students as they had already lost 11 precious days as annual examinations for elementary classes were fast approaching.

The winter vacation had been extended by 11 days over security concerns.

Officials claimed the department was taking ‘all possible measures’ to ensure that adequate security was in place in all government and private schools.

A spokesman for the education minister said the minister would chair a meeting on Monday with officials of police, Rangers, city administration, education and home department to sort out steps to restore the confidence of parents, who were extremely worried about the safety of their children.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2015

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