Summer break in border schools preponed by 3 weeks

Vikas Sharma

tribune news service

Jammu, May 22

In view of the safety/security of students and staff from cross-firing by the Pakistan army on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district, the administration on the directions of Minister for School Education today ordered the preponing of the summer vacation w.e.f May 23 in the four affected education zones — Manjakote, Doongi, Nowshera and Dandesar.

The order said the preponement of the summer vacation were subject to the condition that the total holidays of these affected zones do not exceed the normal summer vacation as and when announced by the government.

Rajouri Chief Education Officer Altaf Hussain told the Tribune: “We received the order yesterday but could not discuss it with Deputy Commission Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary because he arrived late at night. The DC office today issued the order regarding the preponement of summer vacation in these four zones.”

Hussain further said: “In fact, we were also planning for advanced summer vacations in the borders schools located in the education zones of Dandesar, Nowshera, Doongi and Manjakote. Though there are no reports of firing for the last two days but we do not want to take any chances. Finally, the government issued an order in this regard.

“Usually summer break is announced by the government between June 12 and 14. The vacation in other schools of the district will be as per the notification.” Hussain added that the move behind the advanced summer vacation was decided after the parents of the children studying in the closed schools situated along the LoC requested the dignitaries during their visit to take stock of the losses suffered by people during the Pakistan army shelling.