TAXILA, May 18: Most of the private schools in Taxila and adjoining areas are not observing two weekly holidays as announced by the Punjab government recently to save the energy.

Several private schools in the city remain opened on Saturdays in this hot weather conditions with education authorities turning a blind eye to this violation.

A large number of parents while talking to this reporter said that the Punjab government had announced two weekly holidays to save the energy.

But various private schools particularly those located in the Cantonment area flout the ban and observe only one weekly holiday on Sunday, they said.

Faisal Mehmood said that his son was in play group and attended the school even on Saturdays in this prolonged and unannounced loadshedding.

Noor Mohammad, a resident of the Cantonment Area, said that his son attended the school on Saturday. He also complained that the private school in which he studied had no alternative power arrangement and students attended classes in hot weather.

Rizwan Ali, a 4th class student of local school, said that coming back to home on foot in hot weather was unbearable. He said that many of his colleagues fell ill due to exposure to blazing sun.

Quratul Ain, a 6th class student of a private school system in Taxila Cantonment area, said that when the students of all public and private sector educational institutions observed Saturday as holiday her school remained open.

Tahira Bibi, a mother of a student, said that education authorities seemed helpless against the private educational institutions owners.

Tahir Durrani, who runs a private school in the area, said that his system observed two weekly holidays as per directives of the Punjab government. Iqbal Farooqi, who runs a private school in Cantonment area, said that as academic session had already been cut short due to holidays they had to open the school to cover the syllabus. He said that in order to save the time of the students many schools remained open in the area.

Dr Umer Farooq, executive district officer (education), said that the private schools located in the area were bound to follow the government orders. If anyone violates the order, it will face the music, he said.

He said the education department would cancel the registration of the institution on the written complaint of any student or his parents.