Sindh Private Schools warn of reopening on June 15

KARACHI: Private Schools Action Committee head Pervez Haroon announced the reopening of all private educational institutes from June 15.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi today (Wednesday), he said, “We plan to open schools in three phases from June 15.” He also assured that SOPs would be followed in all institutions as directed by the government.

Pervez Haroon informed that the classes for grades six to 10 will be resumed in the first phase – starting from June 15. “Classes for the students of grades three to five will then be resumed from July 1, and for the remaining students from July 10 in the third phase,” he added.

Criticizing the decision to extend the closure of schools, he said that as many as 25 million children are already out of school in the country and the decision will double the number.

Commenting on the problems of the teachers, he said that apart from students teaching and non-teaching staff, too, have been affected by the closure of schools by not receiving income.  

He termed the recent amendment made in education laws “illegal,” outright rejecting the changes as well as the Sindh Covid-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance.

He also rejected the idea of relying solely on online classes. “The government has stressed the initiation of online classes but it is near impossible to teach primary school students remotely,” he said.

Referring to a smart lockdown in Sindh, he demanded that schools be allowed to resume classes subject to observation of SOPs.

Haroon further demanded of the Sindh government to announce a relief package for schools and devise a policy for action against defaulters.

He appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail to permit the reopening of schools.