ISLAMABAD (News pulse) Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) on Monday decided to reopen universities and colleges in the country from September 15.
Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Shafqat Mahmood, chaired the conference on the issue. Ministers from all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir attended the meeting.
During the meeting it was decided that in first phase universities, colleges will be allowed to reopen from September 15 under strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and in second phase students of sixth to eight standard will be allowed to return to schools from September 23.
Earlier, the federal government had issued a SOPs that schools will have to follow. These include:
First secondary classes will start first after which primary classes will begin
The number of students in a class will be reduced, which means that half of the students will attend the session one day and the other half on the other day
Students will have to wear face masks at all times. Dr Sultan said that it’s better if the masks are made at home
Social distancing and washing hands should be strictly implemented
Sanitisers should be installed in schools and students should be encouraged to use them repeatedly
Every student attending school in-person will have to get tested for coronavirus in two weeks
Students with lower immunity levels should not be sent to school
Students will have lunch inside class during breaks
Educational institutions will remain open on Saturdays and will have no winter vacations this year. The institutions have been instructed to hold special classes on Saturdays.
All educational institutions across the country were closed late February after coronavirus cases spiked.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advisory
Coronavirus tests of students will be conducted after schools are opened. Teacher and staff members will, however, have to get themselves tested before schools are reopened.
The education department has requested the administration of the schools to cooperate with the government. It also said that the department will visit schools regularly and review the implementation of its SOPs.
