KHYBER: The summer camp initiative introduced for schools in the summer zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has received a lukewarm response in Bara and Jamrud tehsils of Khyber district, as both students and teachers have shown little interest in the official effort aimed at continuing academic activities during the vacation period.

Information gathered from students, parents and teachers paints a discouraging picture of the initiative, which was intended to compensate for lost instructional time caused by three weekly holidays introduced under the countrywide fuel austerity measures.

Most parents in Bara and Jamrud said their children were reluctant to attend the two-hour learning sessions in selected subjects, citing hot weather and the accustomed routine of summer vacations.

They added that teachers also appeared unwilling to ensure full attendance, as many of them felt physically and mentally burdened by the newly introduced summer camp arrangement.

Several students from primary and middle grades in Jamrud and Bara said the lack of interest shown by teachers contributed to their own absenteeism. They also pointed to a shortage of teaching staff in many schools.

Some teachers described the initiative as an “exercise in futility,” noting that they were required to conduct summer camp classes in June for only 14 days, while the month included 12 weekly holidays along with three additional public holidays for Muharram.

“This idea was ill-conceived and poorly planned. Education officials appeared unaware of the number of holidays in June and the expected response from both teachers and students,” they said.

Teachers further stated that students showed little to no interest in the sessions, often leaving classrooms idle for hours due to poor attendance.

They added that the lack of enthusiasm from both teachers and students had also negatively affected the ongoing enrolment drive for out-of-school children. “We have not admitted a single new student since the enrolment campaign began on June 1, as students of nursery, prep, and grades 1 and 2 are exempted from the summer camps,” a primary school teacher said on condition of anonymity.

However, they acknowledged that the only positive aspect of the initiative so far was the distribution of free textbooks. Yet, they argued that these books remained largely unused, as regular instruction was not taking place.

Teachers in Bara and Jamrud concluded that normal academic routines had been disrupted in favour of what they termed an ill-conceived summer camp, with most students either absent or disengaged during the programme.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026