The second wave of an intense heatwave continues to scorch various parts of Pakistan, severely affecting schoolchildren in Islamabad, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Thursday.
Reports have emerged of students fainting due to the extreme heat, exacerbated by ongoing load shedding in schools.
In some schools, classrooms with as many as fifty students have to make do with a single fan. The Meteorological Department had earlier issued an alert predicting an increase in heat intensity, warning that the heatwave could persist until June.
Despite the severe weather, both government and private schools in Islamabad remain open, unlike in Punjab and other provinces where holiday notifications have been issued. Educational institutions in the capital are still awaiting similar directives.
Secretary of Education Mohiuddin Wani has highlighted the issue of power outages during school hours, which are significantly impacting educational activities.
In a letter to the Secretary of Energy, Wani emphasized that the lack of electricity is affecting students' health, with several cases of fainting and dehydration reported.
Wani has urged for immediate measures to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to federal educational institutions until the summer vacation starts, to protect students from the adverse effects of the heatwave.