Islamabad:With schools and colleges resuming in-person learning just recently after a two-week closure due to oil crisis, parents in Islamabad are calling on the government to order online classes or declare a temporary vacations, citing shrinking purchasing power amid soaring fuel and utility costs.
The government increased petrol and diesel prices, Rs55 on March 6 and Rs137.23 and Rs184.49 now, while advising citizens to limit travel and stay indoors as part of austerity measures amid the Iran war-triggered fuel crisis.
Parents argued that such advisories alone didn’t ease their daily challenges, especially when children must attend classes in person. “I cannot afford to send my children to school every day anymore. Oil prices have skyrocketed, electricity and gas bills are climbing, while daily commuting has become a major issue for middle class families,” Saima Batool, a mother of three, told ‘The News’.
“Schools should move online until the situation stabilises,” said Ahmad Kamal, a parent. He added that if that wasn’t possible, authorities could shorten the academic year to adjust summer vacation so that families were not forced to bear extra costs amid stagnant wages and soaring expenses.
Talha Zeb, a realtor, said that rising fuel and utility prices were causing a ripple effect for people from the middle class. “Higher petrol prices push up the cost of transport and essential goods. Families with school-going children face the brunt, as commuting adds significantly to household expenditure,” he said.
Government employee Muhammad Zaman suggested a broader approach. “Authorities should look at why people step out. If that reason is regulated, fuel consumption will automatically reduce. Offices and schools should move to online models as much as possible,” he said.
Parents also complained that school van owners had raised monthly fares by Rs1,000-1,500, claiming the increase should actually have been Rs2,500-3,000 to match recent fuel price surges.
