Punjab prefers smart lockdown policy for schools
A school staffer checks the temperature of a student. Schools were reopened by the government on Tuesday after the number of Covid-19 cases declined in the province. PHOTO: AFP
Punjab School Education Department is mulling over a ‘smart lockdown policy for schools’ across the province.
In this regard, a meeting of all provincial educations ministers will be held on Monday to discuss the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country.
After the meeting, Punjab School Education Minister Sardar Murad Raas will offer his suggestions to the Federal education minister regarding their decision to contain the spread of the virus in schools.
On the other hand, Punjab School Education Department was also taking suggestions from the Education CEOs of all 36 districts of the province over the closure of schools.
Sources added that Punjab government was likely to close all such schools, for around two weeks, where coronavirus cases were being reported.
Reportedly, Punjab government was not in favour of an across-the-board decision to shut down schools in the province. Instead of closing down all schools, the government preferred improving SOPs policy to curb the virus.
Sources also revealed that Punjab School Education Department was likely to introduce a new policy in which, after seeing the coronavirus situation, selective schools will be closed if a virus outbreak was reported there.
Criticism of the school education department on social media platforms continued over the school education minister delayed response to the closure of schools after second wave of the coronavirus emerged in the province.
The school education minister who, two months ago, opposed opening schools, now insisted on keeping schools opened. This lack of clarity from the provincial minister drew criticism from parents as well as schoolteachers. Apparently taking the public opinion into consideration, the Punjab school education minister decided to take suggestions regarding smart lockdown and school closures from other provincial school education ministers the federal education minister and all of Punjab’s education CEOs.
He will reportedly adopt the same stance, after today’s meeting, as that of all other education ministers. However, the final decision in this regard will be taken after the inter-provincial meeting, said a senior official of Punjab School Education Department.
The school education minister, in his Twitter update, also confirmed that in his meeting with the federal education minister, he will likely suggest a smart lockdown instead of closing schools.
Punjab Teachers Union General Secretary Rana Liaqat Ali said, "Cases of coronavirus were identified and we are in favour of smart lockdown for schools but we are not willing to close the schools for those students that are ready to appear in exams.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2020.