(Islamabad) The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference
(IPEMC) which met today with Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood in the
chair decided to reopen schools in phases, Geo News reported quoting unnamed
sources. The federal government, on the recommendation of the National Command
and Operations Centre (NCOC); had closed educational institutions from November
26, 2020 to January 10; 2021. Under that plan; schools were to reopen on
January 11. But the rising spread of the novel coronavirus across the country
has cast a shadow on that decision with federal and provincial education
ministers saying that it was ‘unlikely’ educational institutions would be
allowed to reopen. The final decision regarding the reopening of schools would
be taken after advice from the health ministry on the matter. All the
provincial ministers would attend the meeting via video link. The IPEMC would
deliberate reopening educational institutions in phases. In the first phase;
the primary level students would head back to school on January 25. The second
phase would see middle schools reopening by February 4 and the higher education
institutions would start by February 15 in the third phase. According to
details; it has been proposed to delay school and board examinations till the
last week of May or early June. The summer vacations would be shortened with
the new academic year beginning in August. It may be noted here that although education
is a provincial matter, under the 18th Amendment, the provinces adopted
Centre's policy owing to a Supreme Court decision directing for a uniformed
policy to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in the country. It may be added here
that private schools associations across the country have opposed keeping
schools shut. On Thursday; a private school council demanded the government
reopen schools on January 11 as planned and also sought an economic relief
package. ‘The government should suspend the registration fee and taxes for a
year.’
by: mhmaamay , mhmamay
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