Schools in Pakistan will begin reopening in phases from next week, following a fall in new coronavirus case numbers, officials said, ending a long closure that led to exam cancellations and threw students’ grades into chaos.
The highly-contagious coronavirus causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease.
Higher education institutions and senior school classes will reopen on September 15, class six till eight will reopen on September 23, and on September 30 primary classes will reopen, Shafqat Mahmood, the federal minister for education, told a news conference.
“It is a difficult decision, as it involves the future of children,” he said, adding that success will only be achieved when parents and teachers play their role.
The South Asian country has recorded 298,903 cases of Covid-19 and nearly 6,345 deaths, but has seen a slowing of numbers since June, when it recorded nearly 7,000 infections and 118 deaths in single day.
On Sunday, 394 people tested positive for Covid-19, and three deaths were reported.
Explaining that there is a need to lessen the density of students in classes, Faisal Sultan, the prime minister’s health adviser, said that if there are 40 students in a class, it should be divided in equal batches attending school on alternate days.
Speaking to reporters, he requeaasted that all parents ensure face masks for children.
A surgical mask is not necessary, as even a mask made of cloth will do, he said.
The education minister has warned punitive action against educational institutions not following precautionary measures.
Early last month, Pakistan opened gyms, salons and restaurants dine-in for the first time in five months, after being closed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Yesterday the education ministers of Punjab and Sindh provinces confirmed that schools in their provinces would reopen in phases from September 15.
Punjab Minister for School Education Dr Murad Raas said on Twitter that schools in Punjab would open in phases: students in class nine and 10 return on September 15, students in class six to eight return on September 22, and those in class nursery to five will return to school on September 30.
He said that no double shifts would be allowed, while all schools would follow the alternative day schedule, according to which 50% of total students would come to school one day while the remaining 50% would attend the next day.
Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani also said that schools in the province would open in phases.
“Classes nine and above would be opened on September 15 in the first phase, and one week after that, on September 21, classes six to eight would be opened, and one week after that, that is September 28, the classes from pre-primary to five would be opened,” he said in a statement.
Masks would be mandatory in all schools, he said, adding that all schools would have to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Strict action will be taken against schools that do not implement the SOPs, Ghani said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Baluchistan education departments have said that they will follow the decision taken by the federal government in this regard.
Last week, the KP government decided to conduct random testing of students and teachers for the coronavirus once educational institutions reopen.
Officials said that the education and health departments would jointly carry out around 3,000 random Covid-19 testing on campuses daily.
This picture taken in June shows teachers of private schools during a protest in Karachi to demand the reopening of schools.
