Centre, Sindh at odds over reopening of schools

Federal education minister insists on no change in schedule after provincial minister announces postponement

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI:

The federal and the Sindh governments found themselves at odds with each other on Friday over the second phase of the reopening of the educational institutions next week as more coronavirus cases at schools and colleges emerged.

A day after announcing the closure of 22 schools in the country, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) closed down 13 more educational institutions in the last 24 hours over flouting health guidelines and the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Educational institutions were opened on September 15 for the students of Matric and above grades. In the second phase secondary schools are scheduled for reopening on September 23, while primary schools will reopen on September 29.

However, during this week, several Covid-19 cases emerged at difference schools. Consequently, the Sindh government postponed on Friday that reopening of schools for classes VI-VIII amid concerns over violation of the SOPs.

However, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood immediately took to the microblogging website Twitter, insisting that there would be no change in the time table announced earlier after an inter-provincial meeting of education ministers.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said that he had reviewed the situation regarding implementation of the SOPs. “Some had made good arrangements, while others did not,” he said.

Ghani said that the situation might worsen with the increase in the number of students coming to attend classes, hence, the decision to resume secondary classes from September 21 had been postponed till September 28.

“If the situation remains the same, the decision to reopen schools will be further postponed,” Ghani continued. “The Sindh government will not compromise on children’s health,” he said, adding that the matter was being taken up with federal government.

However, within few hours of the provincial minister’s press conference, the federal education minister tweeted: “This is in reference to the decision announced by Sindh today. There is no change regarding the time table announced earlier after Inter provincial meeting of education ministers.”

The federal minister added that a meeting of the NCOC would be held on Tuesday next in which the final decision would be take on the matter. “But if the current trend remains, no reason to postpone 6 to 8 opening on 23rd September,” he tweeted further.

Sindh’s announcement came after 89 Covid-19 cases emerged among students and school staff during random tests conducted at private and public schools across the province. The authorities feared the number of cases could rise to hundreds, when the more test results came back.

Simultaneously, the NCOC stated that at least 13 more educational institutions across Pakistan had been closed in the last 24 hours due to non-compliance of health guidelines or standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Out of these 13 educational institutions 10 were closed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and three in Sindh. On Thursday, the NCOC closed 16 schools K-P, one in Islamabad and five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) due to non-compliance with the SOPs.