KARACHI: Parents running helter-skelter in search of textbooks, activity books, copies and journals. Children taking all the time in the world in deciding whether they want the iPhone replica pencil case or the Spider-Man one, or if they should stick to the backpack this time or try the satchel. Trying to manage time, some parents, too, break into teams. While the mother runs after one thing, the father is running from pillar to post for another. Sometimes a relative is also roped in to take care of these last-minute details before school resumes.

Yes, it’s back to school, not just for the kids but for parents as well. So pull up your socks and march on. Routine isn’t so bad. Quite frankly many parents are happy to see their children returning to regular school after two long months of leisure. But first they need to jump over this last big hurdle of getting them ready.

At Urdu Bazaar, Shaheer Yahya hops into one shop after another looking for his class six textbooks, some of which he just can’t find anywhere else. He is accompanied by his maternal uncle looking on from the footpath. “Not here, too, Mamoon. Let’s try that side,” Shaheer points to a lane they have yet to explore.

New shoes to replace the old ones.

On the other side known for stationery and school bags, Abdul Rehman is trying on different backpacks. “I’m starting class 10. I need a smaller bag,” he says. “As we go up in classes, the burden of books becomes lighter, thank God,” he laughs.

At another shop for plastic covering of books, little Muntaha Saud, starting class one, is eager to get her new school card laminated.

Children, especially those over 10, are known to shoot up during the summer. That calls for new uniforms in bigger sizes and bigger shoes as well. Faiz Farooq is at a shoe shop trying on new sports shoes and the regular black ones as well. With those he also gets to have new socks, new shoe polish and shiner.

Does the new uniform fit to size?

At a well-known school uniforms shop, little Tania Hussain is all excited about starting class three after the break as her nervous father measures the new sets of blouses and skirts against his fidgeting daughter to make sure everything fits.

Anwer Saeed, the shop-in-charge, meanwhile, directs customers asking for different uniforms to the various counters dedicated to the different schools. “For boys the shirts are usually white with the trousers either grey, beige or blue. The girls’ uniforms are more complicated. Different type of skirts, some with straps, some without. Different types of blouses, too, with different collars and some with pockets, some without. And for older girls the long shirts are of various styles and colour, as well. Some are plain, some chequered while the different colour shades need special attention as well in order to be the correct one,” explains the gentleman.

Published in Dawn August 11th, 2015

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