Primary to middle level schools to reopen from Feb 1st: Shafqat.

Byline: Rahul Basharat

Islamabad -- The government on Friday made a slight change in its previously given plan of opening of educational institutions in the country and announced re-opening of the primary to middle level schools from February 1st, 2021.

This was announced by Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood in the Press briefing after the meeting in the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC).

The NCOC under the chairpersonship of Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umer reviewed the health situation of the country before opening of the educational institutions.

Earlier, on January 4, the Inter Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) chaired by the Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had announced re-opening of the educational institutions in the country in three phases.

The IPEMC had announced that secondary to intermediate level educational institutions (grade 09-12) will re-open from January 18, 2021.

The forum had announced that the primary to middle level educational institutions (grade 01- 08) were to re-open from January 25,2021, while all universities and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) were to resume academic activities from February 1st 2021.

However, now, after reviewing the health indicators of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread situation in the country, the government has decided to re-open primary to middle level educational institutions (grade 01 to 08) from February 1st, 2021.

Secondary and HEIs will re-open according to the previously announced schedule.

Shafqat Mahmood in the Press briefing said that educational institutions from class 9,10,11,12 will open according to the previous schedule because in the upcoming months of May and June these classes have to appear in board exams.

'This year nobody will be promoted without examinations,' he stressed.

Meanwhile, he said that re-opening of educational institutions from grade 01 to 08 has been extended to one week away and they will re-open with HEIs from February 1st 2021.

Commenting about infection rate, the Minister said that infection spread rate in different cities is different, adding, that big cities including, Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, Peshawar has high infection rate comparatively to cities with less population.

'So in next week we will again study all data in NCOC and will consider whether the educational institutions in the high infection rate cities should be re-open from February 1st or not,' he said.

He said that a policy will be devised before opening of the educational institutions from February 1st,2021 by reviewing the health data.

'Though it has not been...