PESHAWAR, Jan 13: Parents of the government schoolchildren have demanded of the MMA government to restore the old school timings in the province.

They say that the present timings of 8:30am to 2pm with a lunch break of 45 minutes at 11:15am did not suit their children. After the break, the students of primary classes are less interested in going back to schools.

“It is very difficult to send the minor children to school twice a day,” said Jamil Khan of Bhana Mari area. “The lunch break time is also not proper as no mother prepare food by 11:30am,” he added.

Even teachers were less interested in resuming classes after the lunch break, said a school master of Yakatoot area, Mehboob Ali Shah. Usually after the break, the teachers started preparation for the prayers after which they hardly took any class seriously, he added.

In the past, the school timings in the province were from 9am to 2:30pm with a break of one hour at 12:30pm, but the PML government of Sabir Shah had changed the timings— from 8am to 1pm— with a break of 15 minutes. Hashim Khan of the ANP was education minister at that time.

The teacher said that the 8am-to-1pm timings with a break of 15 minutes were suitable for all the parents, students and teachers.

The parents and teachers have urged the MMA government to restore the old school timings—8am to 1pm.