ISLAMABAD: Following a conscious approach and announcement made a week before, Pakistan reopen higher educational institutions from September 15, 2020.
On September 7, 2020, an interprovincial committee headed by federal minister for Education, Shafqat Mahmood, had announced to reopen higher schools across Pakistan from September 15, 2020.
After a hiatus of around 7 months, students in Pakistan are starting to go to schools for formal education at campuses. This process had disturbed in February last when COVID-19 surfaced in Pakistan like the other countries.
COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire world to stop schooling, businesses, industrial activities and other all kind of works bringing everything to standstill.
Like other countries, Pakistan also quickly moved to adopt a counter policy to fight out the pandemic and save lives of its people. It, as a first priority, closed down the schools so that the students could be protected by keeping them at homes.
Shafqat Mahmood had told the last interprovincial meeting on Education that closing down of the schools in the wake of COVID-19 was the most difficult decision, but it was inevitable to protect the student from this deadly virus.
Now after a break of over 7 months, Pakistan has reopened higher educational institutions starting from grade 9 and above. However, following a conscious approach the schools administration has been directed by the government to strictly follow special operating procedures (SoPs) to ensure safety of the students and teaching staff. As a part of SoPs, all private and public sector schools will make sure that the students and teaching and non-teaching staff observe SoPs in letter and terms.
The government has also launched a massive campaign for creating awareness among the parents, teachers and students to make possible that the students and other staff remain safe and healthy at school to go forward to reopen other junior schools at the given timeframe.
In the last meeting, the interprovincial committee had declared to reopen middle and primary level schools from September 23 and September 30, 2020 respectively.