Cannot say if schools would reopen on Jan 11: Shafqat Mahmood

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said on Friday that it was unclear whether educational institutions would be allowed to reopen on January 11, 2021 keeping in view the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Talking to Geo Pakistan, the federal minister said authorities would review the education policy considering the new highly infectious strain of COVID-19. “The final decision would be made on the advice of health ministry as this is fundamentally their domain. We cannot risk children’s health.”

Mahmood said it was unclear whether schools would be allowed to reopen on January 11 as planned. “We would seek advice from the health ministry and review the ongoing situation during the January 4 meeting. The decision would be taken then.” 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."

Meanwhile, the proposal to open educational institutions across the country in three phases has been included in the agenda of the meeting of inter-provincial education ministers, which will be chaired by Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on January 4. In the first phase, the primary schools will be opened from January 25, in the second phase, middle or equivalent institutions will be opened from February 4 and higher education institutions will be reopened from February 15. The school and board examinations will be held in the last week of May and June.