Why can’t we indigenize school dress at least for winters?

Mohammad Ilyas Khwaja (Goldur Chitral)

An Important Issue in hand that does not want any consumption of funds or seeks any physical or political bothering is that Chitral being a hard area with harsh weather bears severe winters. Especially in Chitral main town, Booni and Mastuj in the upper region there blow cold and chilly winds most of the days throughout the year.

The wind in winters makes outdoor life terribly hard. As schools do remain open till the end of December, the young students on the way to school and back in snowy days are much affected by the harsh weather. Even though we got independence in 1947, mentally we have been bound to English formal dresses.

Throughout in our schools English 2/3 piece suit with tie is made a formal uniform. What happens that the English coat that is often of a wool cloth and and its underpart as a smooth thin cloth stitched together does not make defence against the thrusting gale and chill of Chitral’s icy cold air. Quilted coats, overcoats with fur or bird feather filled jackets that are easily available in the market and that what can only keep a child warm here so needs to be made part of winter uniform or at least be allowed as a relief.

Be some colour restriction but not the variety. Children shiver badly in English coats here in winter. An exception is to be made for winter dress. Surely, the soul of Queen Elizabeth will not reckon us for that.