Final decision to start primary classes on 29th: Shafqat Mahmood

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood has said the final decision to allow public and private schools to start primary classes will be taken at a National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting scheduled for September 29.

Talking to the media at the National College of Arts (NCA) here on Saturday, he said the primary sections (from Class 1 to 5) at schools were scheduled to reopen from September 30, but the final decision in this regard would be taken in the NCOC meeting. He said the government is conducting 30,000 Covid-19 tests per day across the country and most of these are being conducted in schools. The infection rate is less than 1 per cent. He said the closure of educational institutions for 6 months caused huge academic loss to students and it is necessary to continue the academic process as things are improving. Answering a question, the minister said the NCA would soon be awarded the status of a university as work on related legislation is under way. He said the government is aware of increasing inflation and is making efforts to decrease it. He said all economic indicators of the country are positive that is quite encouraging.

To another question, he said the opposition does not enjoy public support and appreciation as these parties have been badly exposed over the years. Terming PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s recent statements hypocrisy, he said that on the one hand, he while sitting in London is criticizing the state institutions while on the other his people, on their own request, are meeting the military leadership. Earlier, Shafqat chaired the Board of Governors (BoG) meeting of the NCA in which NCA Principal Prof Dr Murtaza Jafri briefed him about the academic and administrative matters of the college.