Govt mulls reopening educational institutions

Education ministers’ conference called on July 2

ISLAMABAD: The federal education ministry has sought recommendations from the provinces on the reopening of educational institutions across the country amid coronavirus situation.

The schools across the country were closed in April owing to the coronavirus breakout in the country. However, in the first phase, the federal government seeks to reopen them on a trial basis.

As per the notification issued by the Federal Education Ministry Joint Secretary Syed Umar Javed on Saturday, which was read by The Express Tribune, the federal government has decided to reopen educational institutions across the country on a trial basis.

For this purpose, the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers conference has been called on July 2. The circular read that all provinces have been directed to forward recommendations regarding the reopening of schools until June 23. The provinces have been directed to frame suggestions that include possible precautionary measures that could be taken to keep students and teachers safe from the pandemic virus.

The recommendations from the conference would be conveyed to the National Coordination Committee (NCC) while the latter would have the discretion to make the final decision.

Further, the ministry has also summoned recommendations from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), and other related institutions.

Moreover, the experts in the field are of the view that the government should move towards reopening educational institutions phase-wise after the end of coronavirus peak in the country expected in the first week of August.

If that happens, they suggested that the universities should be resumed in the first phase while the schools should be opened in September.

Federal board results

The federal education board will announce the secondary school certificate (SSC) and intermediate results in July.

The SSC result will be announced in the first week of July while intermediate results will be announced in the third week of the same month, the federal education ministry officials said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the federal board has summoned the meeting of the board of governors to give approval of guidelines regarding the promotion of students to the next grade after suspension of examination. The officials said that the meeting would be held on June 30.

Earlier, the federal board had been informed through a letter by the ministry that students from grades nine to 12 would be promoted without examination as decided in Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference under Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2020.