PM calls for ensuring health safety rules as children return to school

ISLAMABAD: 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.

“Today we welcome millions of children back to school. It is our priority & collective responsibility to ensure that every child can go to school safely to learn. We have worked to ensure that school operations are aligned with public health safety rules on #COVID19,” he said.

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said had said that rhe government has decied to reopen all schools across Pakistan from 15th September.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the federal and provincial education departments and has been approved by the National Command and Operation Centre. The federal education minister said that the educational institutions will be opened 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.