Final decision to reopen schools will be taken on Sept 7: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on Friday said the decision to reopen schools would be taken at an interprovincial education ministers’ conference on 7th September.

Speaking at a press conference, the minister said the Ministry of Health will devise standard operating procedures (SOPs) for educational institutions to follow to prevent the spread of the virus. He added that schools will reopen from 15th September if the coronavirus situation improves.

The minister said it was decided with consensus among all the provincial education ministers to close educational institutions during the pandemic and to reopen them on September 15. He said Pakistan gave an outstanding response to the COVID-19 challenge in the education sector.

He said the government has taken several revolutionary steps during the last two years to reform the education sector in the country. Presenting his ministry’s two-year performance, he said the inter-provincial education ministers forum was made functional to reach consensus decisions for the development of the education sector.

He said efforts to introduce a uniform curriculum in the country are bearing fruit as single curriculum from class 1-5 has been prepared. He said schools will teach one curriculum from April next year which will develop national cohesion, while model textbooks are also being prepared.

Shafqat Mahmood said the government developed a mechanism to ensure that the religious seminary students also study the national curriculum. He said the students of seminaries will gain employment opportunities like students of contemporary education in practical life.

He said four million students were promoted to the next class from Class nine to 12, which was widely accepted. He said a tele-school was started on 7th April after closure of schools, and online education was started for higher education. The minister said a new department has been created at the Ministry of Education to continue distance education.