Govt mulling reopening of schools under SOPs: minister.

ISLAMABAD -- The government is considering reopening schools under standard operating procedures (SOPs) subject to reports from various stakeholders, Minister for Federal Education Shafgat Mahmood said on Monday.

Chairing a meeting on the reopening of schools, the minister said the government is seriously considering reopening of schools under SOPs.

`We have sought recommendations from all provinces, including AJK and GilgitBaltistan, religious seminaries and private schools,` a press release issued by the ministry quoted him as saying.

During the meeting, Mr Mahmood said the ministry was preparing a roadmap keeping the safety of teachers, students and staff in view. But before any final decision, the Ministry for Federal Education and the Ministry for National Health Services will hold a meeting during which coronavirustrends will also be reviewed. The minister said Unicefis being consulted as well.

After the meeting, the minister shared a tweet from the ministry, which stated: `In today`s important meeting, Education Minister Shafgat Mahmood said after consultation with provincial governments, health ministry, coronavirus emergency response unit and international organisations, the government will take a decision regarding reopening of schools.

Another tweet from the ministry stated: `Federal minister said consultations with provincial governments and other stakeholders are underway to prepare a roadmap for safe reopening of educational institutes in the country, we are hopeful to reach a decision soon.

The press release said that during the meeting, Mr Mahmood said he wanted to end the uncertainty on the reopening or closure of schools.

During the meeting, a survey conducted by Gallup, which found that `70pc of parents showed their willingness to send their kids to schools if the institutes are reopened under SOPs` was also discussed.

Educational institutions are closed until July 15 and a meeting of inter-provincial education ministers that is scheduled for July 2 will made a decision regarding reopening institutions after July 15.

Their decision will be placed before the National Coordination Committee (NCC)for a final decision.

A number of private schools have sought for schools to be reopened, while parents oppose the move because of the surge in Covid-19 cases and the weather.

`When schools were closed in March, cases of coronavirus were less than 1,000 in Islamabad but now the cases have jumped over 10,000 in the city. Secondly...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT