School closures

The government of Pakistan has decided to reopen schools for Class 1 to Class 8 from February 1. This decision seems quite awkward and surprising for both teachers and parents. First, the decision of resuming academic activities in schools should have been deferred because of the growing cases of Covid-19. A majority of people don’t follow SOPs even in schools. What is even more alarming is the fact that the school administration rarely asks students or teachers to follow precautionary measures in letter and spirit. As a result, education institutions slowly turn into Covid-19 hotspots.

It is also important to mention that the Covid-19 vaccine is not available in the country to control the spread of the contagious virus. The present situation suggests that schools shouldn’t be opened. The authorities should reopen all education institutions from March 1, 2021. As the government has already announced that the annual examinations will be held in May and June, teachers can easily cover the rest of the syllabus within one and a half months and students can also prepare for the exams. The authorities should reconsider its decision.

Guldar Khan Wazir

Loralai

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After the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic weakened a little, the government has announced the reopening of schools in a phased manner. It merits a mention that the authorities weighed all pros and cons before taking this decision of the resumption of academic activities. The news was received positively across the country as many students were deeply disturbed by learning losses caused by school closures. Even though the concept of on-line classes is gaining ground in Pakistan, a majority of our students, especially those who belong to low-income households, cannot afford this opportunity owing to a number of financial constraints and connectivity issues.

Both the federal and the provincial governments are reiterating that the SOPs that have been drafted to contain the spread of the virus must be followed. It is likely that the number of cases will increase if the people showed a lack of seriousness while observing Covid-19 SOPs. There is no denying that healthcare experts have worked hard to save the people and employed all means to defeat the deadly virus. It is now the responsibility of the people to play their part and help the government fight against the virus.

Muhammad Fayyaz Nawrha

Mianwali