Shivering children in frozen classes should not become the symbol of the rule in Sindh today.
- Securing them is not philanthropy; it is a duty of the state and a moral obligation of society. The failure to act today will only deepen public mistrust and expose children to avoidable harm.
Hasaan Zafar | Karachi
The weather in Sindh is exceptionally severe. Temperatures have fallen to the levels that the region does not experience so frequently. The issue of poor infrastructure, insufficient heating system and poverty saturates the whole province. Although it is such harsh, schools in most districts are open as though child safety is not a priority.
This is not just a mindless decision it is inconsiderate.
Sindh schools are very ill-equipped to deal with extreme weather. In most of the classrooms, heating, insulation, and even protection against cold winds is nonexistent. Children at primary levels are compelled to sit in chilling rooms and even in skinny uniforms which barely keep them warm. Many of the students are exposed to cold bites early in the morning because they have to move a long distance to their schools. This puts a great deal of risk towards respiratory, flu, pneumonia, and other cold related diseases.
The same case is worse in children of low-income families. The warm clothes, socks, gloves, or decent shoes cannot be afforded by all households. To such children, going to school under extreme cold is not a subject of discipline, but it is a problem that endangers their health.
Children should not be sacrificed to education. There is no reason that the fact of closing schools down temporarily due to the severe weather conditions should affect the education; it should be regarded as a humane and sensible form of government. Schools in most countries and cities around the world are shut down in times of extreme heatwave, cold weather or even during smog as a means of protecting the lives of young ones. Sindh should not be an exception.
What is more alarming is the fact that the concerned authorities remained silent. The education departments and local representatives seem to be out of touch with the realities on the ground, and the district administrations. Making of decisions is going on in offices, not classes. Such inability to react to it brings one very serious question: is the life of children less important than strict schedules and attendance books?
This does not mean we want to have unreasonable holidays. It is an appeal to universal health, child, and basic human decency. There would be no serious consequence of even a brief shutdown or late school hours at the time of extreme coldness on the school academic calendar. But, neglecting the situation might have a long-term cost on the health of children and their attendance at school.
The local authorities and provincial government have to take some action. All the schools in Sindh are to be closed temporarily till weather conditions are favorable, or at least, the school hours will have to be changed to avoid exposure to hard cold at the start of the day. It is also necessary to plan ahead in the long run to make sure that schools are better prepared to deal with the extreme weather in future.
One of the measures of a society is its treatment of the weakest members. Shivering children in frozen classes should not become the symbol of the rule in Sindh today. Securing them is not philanthropy; it is a duty of the state and a moral obligation of society. The failure to act today will only deepen public mistrust and expose children to avoidable harm. Authorities must choose responsibility over rigidity and compassion over convenience.
Read: Education: Sindh Govt.’s Tall Claims Stand Exposed
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