In light of the increase in coronavirus cases, the federal government has decided to postpone the reopening of primary schools for a week, with education starting from January 9-12, as announced on January 18.
A high-level meeting was held today at the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) to discuss the latest coronavirus pandemic. Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood said after meeting all provincial ministers and health officials that the coronavirus positivity rate in the country is still high, which is why the reopening of primary schools was delayed by a week.
The minister said that universities will start learning personally from February 1. “Everyone is concerned about the loss of education during the previous lockdown, but we have to strike a balance to protect the students,” said Mehmood. Mehmood said in a tweet on Thursday, "While I really want education to continue, the final decision will be made for health reasons. Student well-being will always be a priority.
نویں، دسویں ، گیارہویں اور بارہویں جماعتوں کےلئے تمام تعلیمی ادارے اٹھارہ جنوری سے کھولنے کا فیصلہ ۔ پہلی سے آٹھویں کے لئے سکول یکم فروری سے کھولے جائیں گے اور ملک بھر میں یونیورسٹیوں بھی یکم فروری کو کھلیں گی
— Ministry of Federal Education/ProfessionalTraining (@EduMinistryPK) January 15, 2021
وفاقی وزیر تعلیم @Shafqat_Mahmood کی #NCOC اجلاس کے بعد میڈیا بریفنگ pic.twitter.com/bPdX8NU5p3
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On January 4, he said the government would not compromise on children's health and that another meeting would be held to discuss the recent coronavirus situation in the country. The federal government had previously announced a roadmap to reopen educational institutions from January 18, which closed on November 26, to stop the spread of the corona virus.
Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has announced a revised timetable for the reopening of schools, according to which classes 9 to 12 will start as scheduled from January 18, while classes 1 to 8 will start from February 1 instead of January 25.
Mahmood spoke at a press conference following the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) meeting, which was also attended by federal and provincial health and education ministers. Authorities discussed the ongoing wave of Covid-19, believed to be more deadly than the first, forcing educational institutions to close to protect students and teachers.
During the press conference, he said that this year students will not graduate without graduation and so it has been decided that their classes should be restarted. He admitted that education has been at a loss in recent months, but stressed that the government must also take care of people's health.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has assured parents that they will strictly enforce COVID-19 SOPs in schools.
