Govt devising strict SOPs to reopen schools: Shafqat Mahmood

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Monday said that the authorities have been devising strict guidelines for reopening of schools and universities as soon as possible.

The minister said federal authorities would review the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic and a session scheduled on September 7 would be attended by education ministers of all provinces to take a final decision regarding the resumption of academic sessions.

He said, “It is very important that we safely integrate all our students back into the educational institutions across the country”.

Specific tasks would be created for teachers in schools and responsibilities for ensuring health and hygiene would be defined before the reopening of schools, he added.

The minister said the government was clear that no decision would be taken without appropriate consultations and students’ safety would be the topmost priority while making any decision in this regard.

He mentioned strict action will be taken against those schools for violating the government’s order for a 20 percent discount in tuition fees.

Shafqat Mahmood said the educators lost their jobs will be restored after the reopening of schools, adding that the decision for promoting students had been taken in view of halting exams due to COVID-19.

He said, “I already recommended the division of classes into two sections as a precautionary measure against coronavirus in order to continue academic sessions and the classes should be continued into separate batches of students.

He also detailed different plans for educational institutions, saying that a suggestion was also under consideration for allowing the centers for resuming classes of Level 8 to Level 12 students in the first phase.

The government has taken several revolutionary steps during the last two years to reform the education sector in the country, he added.

Shafqat Mahmood citing 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 a single curriculum from class 1-5 has been prepared.

Schools will teach one curriculum from April next year which will develop national cohesion, while model textbooks are also being prepared, he added.