Wondering why you get stuck in a chock-a-block traffic every morning and thinking why no one gave two hoots to the daily routine? Have a little more patience. You may now ease your way to your destination if private school operators have their way and change the timings of private and boarding schools in the Valley.

Following a proposal prepared by the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) and tabled in a joint meeting of organisations of private and boarding schools, higher secondary schools and guardian associations, the schools owners are planning to adjust the school hours.

The MTPD has proposed changing the school hours from 8 am to 3 pm to avoid clashing with government office hours—10 am to 4 pm.

As big school buses pass through the core areas of the City, traffic usually goes haywire. Over 1,000 private school buses play in the Valley every day.

According to the President of Private and Boarding Schools Association of Nepal (NPABSAN), Geeta Rana, schools under her organisation have completed preparations to change the current timing of 10 to 4. She said schools will operate in two shifts—8 to 3 for students from grade seven to 10 and 10 to 5 for those below grade seven. The timings for grades up to six will be changed to 10 to 4 in the summer if the offices call it a day at 5 pm.

“As students from the lower grade cannot be left unless their parents reach to their house, we can’t apply 8 to 3 schedule for them.  However we can prolong their stay the school to avoid the coincidence with office off time,” said Rana.

Among the several measures taken by the traffic police to deal with traffic jams during peak hours, it has proposed school buses picking up students before 9 am and dropping them home by 3 pm. Chairperson of PABSON Rajesh Khadka said that though schools under his organisation are yet to take a call, they are positive about running the schools in two shifts.

The new schedule will be presented to the Ministry of Education once both the umbrella organisations of the schools agree to it.

“The new schedule may likely be adopted from the new academic session that starts in three months,” Khadka said.

source: The Kathmandu Post, 22 Dec 2011