Back to school.

The National Command and Operation Centre endorsed on Thursday the decision of the previous day's meeting of education ministers, to reopen schools and colleges from September. The opening has been made conditional with the observance of SOPs. While it might be possible to get college or university students to observe social distancing, even a cursory glance of a primary school at break time will show why schoolchildren will be sublimely unaware of them. While not entirely immune, children and younger people do get ill less. But they are equally susceptible to carrying the virus, and the same sight of break time will show why school will be such an efficient means of infection. With so many multi-generational families, it is a certainty that children will bring covid-19 to teachers, parents and grandparents.

Reopening schools is not only a much needed sign of normality, but is especially needed in a Third-World country like Pakistan where education is the only way out of the poverty trap. Another consideration that came up during the ministerial meeting was of the public examinations, with the decision that they could be held if SOPs were observed, and the possibility of open-air examination halls explored. If SOPs are to be observed, it also raises the...

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