KARACHI, May 9: The federal government’s announcement to extend summer vacations till August 15 will be harmful for the country, as students will miss the most important national event of independence day, harming the spirit of patriotism and national unity in the new generation.

However, private schools have decided to open all private schools in Sindh on August 1, so students could prepare themselves for academic programmes for celebrating the independence day, as usual.

This was stated by the All Private Schools Management Association (APSMA) Sindh in a statement on Tuesday.

The association’s President, Syed Khalid Shah, said that if schools were opened on August 16, it would cause a great loss to the younger generation, as it would deprive them of learning about the importance of the country’s independence day.

He said the students prepare themselves to observe the independence day in a befitting manner.

“They rehearse for tableaux, dramas, debates, national song competitions and such programmes, meant for the independence day, at schools with the help of their teachers,” he said, adding that these activities played an important role in boosting patriotism and national unity in them.

“Dragging the summer vacations till August 15 will deprive students of all these vital activities and cause great damage to the national cause,” he said.

Keeping these factors in mind, the private schools had decided to start the academic session from August 1, he said.

He appealed to the federal and provincial education departments to change their decision of extending summer vacations till August 15, and not deprive the younger generation of taking part in patriotic academic activities to celebrate the independence day.

He also appealed to the Sindh education minister to announce starting of academic session, 2007-08, from April 2007, as it was a joint demand of teachers, parents and students.

He said the private schools of Punjab had also decided to start their academic session in April 2007.

He said a survey in this regard was also conducted in Sindh, in which 88 per cent of schools had favoured beginning of the new academic session from April 2007.He said a report in this regard had already been submitted to the education minister.—PPI