NCOC Announces Resumption of Classes from Tomorrow

On Tuesday, after reviewing the ongoing situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has permitted the resumption of secondary classes from tomorrow, September 23. 

Earlier this month, in a meeting, the provincial education ministers had agreed upon the reopening of schools and colleges in a phase-wise manner starting from 15 September. 

It was agreed upon that Grade 9 and up, and also universities would be opened first on September 15, and they were reopened as scheduled, whereas classes 6th to 8th were planned to reopen from September 21. On the other hand, pre-primary and primary classes were to resume on September 30. 

As stated by NCOC, today’s meeting was attended by Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan and Interior Minister Brig (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah, along with secretary education and provincial education ministers. 

Sindh Schedule to Stay Same 

No change is made to the Sindh schedule as clarified by Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani. Declaring the resumption was postponed after reviewing the situation of SOPs in the schools in the first place and that no risk can be taken on the health of children, he said that middle classes in Sindh will resume from September 28 as scheduled. 

SOPs Must be Followed Strictly 

As the announcement was made, Education Minister of Punjab Murad Raas made a tweet that all private as well as public schools would reopen from tomorrow. SOPs issued by School Education Department Punjab are to be imperatively followed by everyone, said Raas. 

If any case of Coronavirus is detected in any school, it will be closed immediately, he added. 

No School Would Be Closed in Case of Positive Cases 

The director of the Balochistan Education Department also verified the resumption of government schools, private schools, and semi-private schools across the province from tomorrow in the second phase of the reopening of educational institutions. 

Schools from Grade 6 up to the middle-section level and all those that were closed because of the Coronavirus pandemic will be reopened in the second phase. 

The director also warned that no school will be closed if positive cases are found in students or staff, the affected person will be quarantined for a 14 days period. After they test negative for the virus, students and teachers will be allowed to go back to schools. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Resume Schools from Tomorrow 

Shahram Khan Tarakai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Minister, said earlier today that it has been decided by the provincial government to resume schools from tomorrow. 

The provincial government of Sindh, however, has stated that the schools will be reopened from September 28, a decision that has been slammed by the Private Schools Action Committee.