Education ministers to discuss Covid-19 situation today

Islamabad: The federal government has called a meeting of education ministers (Wednesday) to discuss the coronavirus-related situation in schools after the resumption of in-person learning in Islamabad and Punjab on Monday.

The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference will be chaired by Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Shafqat Mahmood and attended by the provincial, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir education ministers and the relevant senior officials via video link.

According to the federal education ministry, the participants will discuss the start of the new academic session, reopening of schools in light of the current COVID-19 incidence, and vaccination of schoolteachers and other staff members. Actions to strengthen performance for inclusive and responsive education, funding, coordination, and reporting will also come under discussion.

Last week, the government decided not to extend school summer vacation and said all schools would reopen on August 2. It was decided that the examinations for grade nine and 10 would be held as per schedule. Exams for grades five, eight, nine, 10, 11 and 12 have either been held or are under way. Students of all other grades have been promoted without exams.