(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A month has passed since militants massacred students and teachers at the Army Public School and College in Pakistan's Peshawar on December 16, 2014 but local schoolchildren are still reeling from the trauma.
Most government and private schools, colleges and universities had reopened in Peshawar and other parts of the province on December 12 after 26 days closure but many students have opted not to attend classes in fear of their life.
Some feel very frightened to see guards at the main entrances and rooftops of their educational institutions.
As part of the counter-terrorism strategy, the provincial government has issued security guidelines to schools, colleges and universities and sought their strict compliance.
Among these guidelines are increase in the height of boundary walls up to 10-13 feet, fixing of barbed wire on them, installation of closed circuit television cameras and walk-through gates at entry and exit points of the premises, increasing the strength of guards, and provision of metal detectors them.
Educationists feel the prolonged closure of educational institutions in the wake of the December 16 violence will adversely affect the academic performance of students.
According to them, the extended winter vacation cost students 26 precious days during which they would have finished and revised course.
At many educational institutions, teachers have either not finished course or yet to revise it.
Normally, they do the job by this time and thus, helping students to prepare well for the Secondary School Certificate examination conducted by the boards for intermediate and secondary education.
A headmaster of the government high school in Peshawar city said on Friday that 30-40 per cent students had opted to absent themselves from classes fearing terrorist attacks.
"Of the 520 enrolled students, only 390 are present in the school today," he said.
"One of our most talented students is so traumatised by the Army Public School massacre that he has stopped coming to the school," the school's headmaster said.
He said he would visit the student to convince him to begin attending classes.
"I am much worried about the student's future as his SSC examinations are at hand ie in March," he said.
The headmaster said in many schools, guards checked schoolbags at main gates, so students asked how long the exercise would last.
A senior teacher of a semi-government school on Wasrak Road said: "We're striving to finish the SSC course at the earliest but it appears to be a mission impossible.
Currently, we are holding home examinations and once they're over, we will be left with no time to revise the course. In this light, there is a high likelihood of students not performing very well in the upcoming board examination."
Some private educational institutions have cancelled internal examinations over the prolonged closure of the campuses.
A father said his sons studied in ninth and 10th grades in Peshawar Public School and College and that they were taking home examinations when the massacre took place on campus.
"After the school was reopened, the administration resumed examinations though teachers have yet to finish their 30 per cent course. If they pass the examinations, their forms to sit the board examinations will be sent (to board) with double fee or triple fee.
A worried father complained the students didn't have enough time to prepare for the examinations and therefore, both students and their parents were stressed out.
Some parents said they expected their children won't do well in examinations due to lack of preparation. "My son, Ali, is in ninth grade and his studies are adversely affected by the extended closure of school. We fear his examination results will be poor this time around," a parent said.
He asked about the rationale behind the prolonged closure of schools.
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