Schools dept suggests full attendance

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) is likely to decide on Tuesday about allowing full attendance in schools of Lahore and Rawalpindi districts.

The Punjab School Education Department has suggested resumption of all classes in the schools with full attendance from Wednesday.

However, the death toll due to coronavirus in both districts remains high.

A restriction of 50 per cent attendance for lower classes in the schools in Lahore and Rawalpindi was imposed by the NCOC on January 17 due to the spread of coronavirus at an alarming rate.

The NCOC announced the restriction of attendance for the sixth and lower grades in both districts till January 31 and later extended it till February 15.

Sources in the provincial school education department said they expected an advice from the NCOC about the future course of action.

“Punjab School Education department will issue a notification after the NCOC’s advice. We have not yet received an official order in this regard.

However, the department has already suggested to the NCOC that the situations with respect to Covid-19 is better now and there is no reason to restrict the attendance further,” a senior official of the department said while speaking to The Express Tribune on Monday.

Private school owners had opposed the policy of restricting the attendance.

“We have already said that closing schools is not a solution as students suffered a lot in past. Now, at a time when we are engaged in preparations for annual examinations, this decision of 50% attendance is not favourable for students as their results will be affected,” All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association president Kashif Adeeb Jawdani said.

He said the situation in Lahore and Rawalpindi had improved, so the government should allow opening the schools with 100% attendance.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2022.