KARACHI, Dec 4: Despite suspension of academic activities in educational institutions on Monday due to showers, all schools and colleges shall remain opened on Tuesday. “Tuesday is a teaching day for students of city schools and colleges in the private and public sectors”, said Sindh Education Secretary Subhago Khan Jatoi, late in the night.

When contacted by Dawn, Mr Jatoi said that schools should remain open on Tuesday and there was no question of closing those in the wake of rains in the city. I have talked to Sindh chief secretary on the issue as well, and a final decision has come that schools will be kept open on Tuesday, he added.

Moreover, a number of private schools are conducting examinations nowadays, therefore it will not be viable to suspend academic activities for a day or two at Karachi or other parts of the province, the secretary asserted.

Students and parents kept calling newspaper offices to know the status of schools on Tuesday, as they thought that intermittent rains on Monday had surely worsened amenity situation in the city, which called for a formal closure of schools for a couple of days in order to save the students from difficulties of rainy days.

In the meantime, a source in the education department said that field works, including teaching in school and colleges remained affected due to rain, while official meetings and engagements were observed at the department offices as usual.

Owing to overnight wet spell that continued in the city on Monday as well academic activities in schools and colleges remained almost suspended, while the University of Karachi decided to put off the BSc annual examinations for colleges for two days.

Water accumulated at major thoroughfares and other roads made it almost impossible for drivers to ply school and college vans in the morning. A significant drop of mercury also contributed to the poor attendance of students in educational institutions.

Students belonging to some private schools managed to turn up for their periodical examinations, but had to sit idle as attendance of students remained very thin. Teachers also abstained from duties due to weather conditions and non-availability of transport.

A senior educational officer said that government schools remained almost closed in the wake of rain. After heavy downpour in the afternoon on Monday, we have received some calls requesting to declare Tuesday as an official holiday for schools and colleges, added the official.

In the meantime, controller of examination of the University of Karachi notified that papers of BSc (pass) annual examinations, which were scheduled to be held on December 5 and 6 had been postponed in view of the prevailing weather condition. New dates for the postponed papers will be given later, while the remaining papers would be held as per schedule, added the notification.

When contacted an official of the varsity said that semester or any other examinations, if any, would be held as per schedule on December 5.