Educational institutes to reopen from Feb 1, announces Shafqat Mahmood

ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood chaired a meeting in which he has announced the reopening of schools in the country will begin from 1st February instead of 25th January.

During the meeting, the education minister said that classes IX to XII will start on Monday as planned. Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced a revised schedule of the reopening of schools, according to which classes from 9 to 12 will begin from January 18 as planned previously.

The universities are scheduled to open on 1st February and no child will pass the class without examination, Shafqat Mahmood asserted. The health department officials expressed that the second wave of coronavirus is very severe and requires extreme caution. The department said that if educational institutions would be opened, the cases of coronavirus could increase.

During the press conference, he said that this year, high school students will not be promoted without examinations and therefore, it had been decided that their classes should resume. Higher education institutions will also reopen from 1st February along with primary and secondary schools.

The federal minister said that next week, the NCOC will review infection rates in different cities and districts before the reopening of higher education institutions and primary and middle schools. The authorities will discuss if education institutions in cities and districts where the infection rate is high should remain closed. He clarified that a decision to delay reopening in areas with high infection rates has not been taken.