THATTA, Sept 16 Some 8,000 students of private schools of twin towns of Thatta and Makli have been deprived of education due to continuous closure of their institutions since June.

The schools were closed for two months on June 1 on account of summer vacation, but could not reopen on Aug 2 as the district administration directs to keep the schools closed due to floods.

According to a survey conducted by this correspondent, about 36 private schools in the two towns were imparting education to around 8,000 students, right from pre-primary to matriculation.

These schools were to reopen on Aug 2, but the DCO of Thatta through a notification directed administrations to keep schools closed for one week further due to flood situation, and these consecutive notifications for the closure of further one week continue till date.

However, none of these private school buildings were used as shelter for IDPs, and the twin towns were not inundated under floodwater.

When contacted, vice-president of the Private Schools Association Ms Almas Khatri said that office-bearers of the association had a meeting with DCO on Sept 14 and briefed him, but he did not withdraw the notification. He promised to allow functioning of the schools soon, she said.

Nasreen Awan, principle of a private school, said “No doubt, we are braving national disaster, but obstruction to academic activities is creating another disaster.”She said that the administration was asking them to set up makeshift schools in IDPs tent settlements while on the other hand it did not allow the established schools to run, damaging future of the generation.

A number of parents Samiullah Qureshi, Asadullah Shah, Usman Khushk, Sarfaraz Qazi, Yar Mohammad Shaikh, Abdul Karim Memon, Shahbaz Bhatti, Jamil Ahmed Qureshi and others said that private schools were imparting education under term-wise syllabus system and due to extension of about one-and-a-half-month in holidays, exams for the first semester which was due in October could not be conducted.

Some school head mistresses told Dawn that some parents phoned them and threatened not to pay fees to schools, saying that “go and ask the DCO for the fees”!

Situation in other towns of the district, which were not directly hit, was similar.

Towns of Gujjo, Gharo, Dhabeji, Mirpur Sakro, Var, Ghulamullah and Jangshahi also have private schools and administrations of these schools were awaiting the DCO's directives to allow them function their school.

TEMPORARY SCHOOLING The Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) has established 58 girls and boys primary schools in the tent settlement for flood survivors in Makli and other parts of the district.