Primary, middle schools reopen across Sindh

KARACHI: All pre-primary, primary and middle schools across Sindh have opened from today, more than six months since being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sindh government had delayed the reopening of schools for primary and secondary students by one week. Schools had already reopened in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 23rd September.

Sindh Minister for Education Saeed Ghani has said all the schools will be bound to follow the SOPs to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He said strict action will be taken against the schools which would not follow the safety precautions.

He directed all schools and other educational institutions to educate the students about the SOPs on daily basis before starting the class and appealed to the parents to ensure their children follow the SOPs.

The order came despite Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho’s warning against the opening of schools this month. She said it would be unwise to reopen schools in a haste at this point and that we can take chances of the health of children.

The provincial health minister revealed that the positivity rate in Sindh had increased from 1.5 percent to three percent. She also warned that a second wave of coronavirus has been predicted in the current situation.

Last week, Saeed Ghani also paid surprise visits to various schools and colleges in the district east to review implementation on the health-related guidelines to contain coronavirus.

The minister reviewed the arrangements at the educational institutions and directed to ensure social distancing and implementation on the SOPs. He urged educational institutions to complete their arrangements and call students in two shifts if the number of the students is high.

Earlier, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) allowed schools across the country to resume in-person classes for grades six to eight from 23rd September as per schedule. However, Sindh Education Minister said schools in the province would reopen on 28th September.