|
Low schools & colleges attendance in Lahore
LAHORE, Jan 12, 2008: Panic and
grief, after the suicide attack in Lahore on January 11, affected the attendance
ratio of students in city's reputed schools.
It has been observed that
attendance in institutions was low on Friday as compared to the normal days.
Besides students, faculty members of institutions were also expressed their
concerns about the blast and termed it an inhuman act of terrorism.
The
number of students and administration personnel of reputed institutions of the
city was low as compared to normal days. The institutions included Lahore School
of Economics, the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Lahore Grammar Schools (LGS), the
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the Government College
University (GCU), the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and the Punjab
University (PU). However, Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and Kinnaird
College for Women were still in their winter break
LSE Burki campus
security in-charge Rubnawaz said that the ratio of students was
comparatively low. He said, on the previous day 1,259 students attended college
but Friday evening witnessed the attendance of only 900 students, which was the
lowest recorded this month. He speculated that the reason was fear created by
the bomb blast but conceded that teachers could have cancelled classes for the
day.
Some teachers of the Convent of Jesus and Mary said,
only 60 percent of the students attended school on Friday. Muhammad Ayub, an LGS
official said the ratio was almost normal in most of their branches. However,
the attendance of students of the junior schools was thin.
Muhammad
Qasim, a student of LUMS, said though the attendance was thin this Friday, this
was also a usual routine. However, he added, the impact of the blast might had
contributed to it this time round. Anum Yousaf, also a student of LUMS, said
only 60 percent of the students attended Microeconomics class, which was low
according to normal routine. She added that people sitting in the cafeteria were
busy talking about the incident and urged their teachers to discuss the same,
instead of conducting their classes.
LCWU media personnel Faiza Latif
said students were depressed due to the blast and expressed their reactions
through discussions during lessons. She said concerns about poor security were
emerging in the student body and the administration was trying to appease its
fears. Rubab, a Bachelors student at the GCU Lahore, said mostly students who
were residents of localities near the Mall Roads could not reach campus as vans
were avoiding the Mall area due to the blast.
Rushana, a Master in
Information Technology (MIT) student in the PU, said that the it had
suspended transportation due to the blast, on account of which it seemed like a
holiday in the MIT department. She said in other departments, students did visit
the campus but academic activities were very low. Worry was actually apparent on
the faces of the teachers there.
Other public schools, colleges:
Directorate of Public Instructions of Colleges Dr Shaukat Ali and Punjab
secretary education Qazi Afaq Ahmed said instructions regarding security would
be issued to educational institutions during Muharram. Moreover, the Executive
District Officer Education of Lahore Zahid Hussain said he was satisfied the
security at schools and added that academic activities would continue during
Muharram. Daily Times
|
