All educational institutes in Sindh to remain closed till May 23: Ghani

Provincial Education Minister Saeed Ghani announced on Saturday that all educational institutions across Sindh will remain closed till May 23 to avoid a further surge in Covid-19 cases.

The decision was taken in view of the current coronavirus situation, Ghani added.

“During this time, educational institutions will remain open and children will be educated through online classes, WhatsApp, email and other means,” the education minister maintained.

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He added that, while the suspension is in effect, the principal or head of any educational institution will be allowed to call in some teachers and non-teaching staff.

The provincial minister further directed institutions across Sindh to ensure full implementation of the guidelines issued in November 2020 regarding the academic syllabus.

Earlier on Friday, the federal education ministry directed the provinces to ensure the closure of educational institutions until May 23.

"Educational institutions shall remain closed till May 23 in view of the directives of the NCOC [National Command and Operation Centre] to deal with the third wave of Covid," read a communique sent to all provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan."

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It added that the directives apply to all government, private institutions, seminaries, and vocational and technical educational campuses.

The ministry asked the relevant institutions to ensure that the directives are followed in letter and spirit.

On May 8, NCOC – Pakistan's nerve centre to control the Covid-19 pandemic – decided to extend the closure of all educational institutions till May 23.

The decision was taken in view of the ongoing trends of the disease. However, a review will be carried out in the NCOC’s next meeting, scheduled for May 18.