Rising Covid cases force early spring break in Peshawar schools

Balochistan institutions to continue at 50% attendance

QUETTA/ PESHAWAR:

The National Command and Control Center (NCOC) held a meeting on Wednesday in Islamabad to discuss the overall situation of coronavirus throughout the country.

The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. He was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Faisal Sultan, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood and others.

During the meeting, some important decisions were taken regarding the strategy that need to be implemented in the future to tackle the prevailing coronavirus.

“Educational institutions in Peshawar, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujarat, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Silakot will be closed from March 15 for spring holidays until March 28,” the education minister announced.

Commenting on the current situation, he said, “The good news is that the situation in Sindh and Balochistan is relatively better which is why they can continue to function [as per routine].”

The education minister reiterated that exams of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12, earlier scheduled for the months of May and June, will take place as planned.

He further informed that the examination policy will remain the same for both domestic and foreign boards.

Mehmood concluded that the government will review the situation in April and make further decisions, further allowing schools to review the situation related to the cases on their own and take decisions accordingly.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2021.