ISLAMABAD: Thousands of educational institutions including universities, colleges and schools across the country are being reopened on Tuesday, ending a six month long closure due to COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an announcement by the Education Ministry, all higher education institutions imparting education to the students from class 9 to 12 and above are going to resume classes today.
Earlier, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced the reopening of some 300,000 educational institutions in three phases to avoid another wave of the virus. Over 30,000 religious seminaries across the country would also be reopened in phases.
According to the SOPs issued by the government, masks will be mandatory for all teachers and students, while the administrations of the educational institutions will ensure the availability of sanitisers at entry gates.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for ensuring public health safety rules regarding the coronavirus as children return to schools. The prime minister said as millions of children are welcome back to school, it is out priority and collective responsibility to ensure that every child can go to school safely to learn.
READ MORE: PM calls for ensuring health safety rules as children return to school
Last week, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said had said that rhe government has decided to reopen all schools across Pakistan from 15th September in different phases.
Universities, colleges and class IX and X will resume from 15th September. The students from class VI to VIII will be called to schools from 22nd September and the students enrolled below class VI will be called in from 30th September.
Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani has said that schools in the province will reopen in phases between 15-30th September starting from universities and classes nine and ten.
From 22nd September, classes six to eight will resume sessions and lastly, primary classes will begin from 30th September. He said that if the number of coronavirus cases in any area spikes, the educational institutions will be closed down.
It will be compulsory for all students, teachers, and staff members to wear masks, practice social distancing and use sanitisers. Students with flu or cough will not be allowed on campus, while failure to comply will result in fines for the schools.
The Punjab government has made coronavirus tests compulsory for all teachers but not students. Punjab has advised classes above grade four to be called in first. All educational institutions across the country were closed late February after coronavirus cases spiked.
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