Schools asked to meet vaccination target

Those with less than 99% inoculation to be closed

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Education Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai has said that strict action would be taken against those private schools whose 99 per cent students are not vaccinated till February 16.

He said that all such schools would be closed down and strict action will be taken against the owners.

He was addressing a meeting to review the situation arose from the fifth wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

Tarakai said that no education institution in the province is being closed down due to the pandemic, directing the school administration to complete the vaccination process of all students above the age of 12.

“Parents, school administration and officials of the education department should act responsibly in this regard and vaccinate the students as soon as possible,” he said, adding that vaccination campaign will continue till February 15.

“Let me make it clear all those education institutes who would not complete inoculation of 99 per cent of its student of 12 year or above age would have to face action. Their schools will be closed down as per the instruction of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC),” stressed the minister.

Tarakai said that due to the pandemic precious time of students had already been wasted and now the academic activities would continue amid the strict precautionary measures.

The minister directed the director education, MD Private Schools Regulatory Authority (PSRA) and all district education officers (DEOs) to supervise the process of vaccination and make sure that all Covid-19 related standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed.

Secretary Health and DG Health briefed the meeting and informed that vaccination process if going on at private schools. They said that another vaccination drive will be launched on February 1st.

“Those children who don’t have Farm B will be sent vaccination certificates on their school address,” they added, saying that out a total of 2.166 million students, 1.138 million have already been vaccinated which is 53 per cent of all students.

“A vaccination drive will be launched to inoculate the remainder of the 47 per cent students,” they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2022.