School safety

The economy is not the only segment of society to be adversely impacted by the lockdown. The disruption of schooling has left a gap in many students' education. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the government’s first precautionary measures were shutting down educational institutions and schools. This was similar to what happened in more advanced nations; However, unlike these countries Pakistan was unable to fill the gap using online education, given our poor technological capabilities. Education is an area in which Pakistan continually lags behind not just more advanced countries but many other developing economies, with over half of our rural population still functionally illiterate. The effects of the lockdown will exacerbate the woes of our education sector.

Schools are expected to gradually reopen, beginning in July, after almost four months of closure. The reopening of schools has the potential to lead to a surge in new infections, and the Sindh government has already rejected the suggestion. The government and the private school associations should make sure that all the SOPs are followed so the schools can be reopened.

Khalid Faruqi

Karachi