ISLAMABAD: All education ministers from across Pakistan will meet on January 4 to decide about the reopening of schools which were closed to contain the spread of coronavirus, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Thursday.
Shafqat Mahmood was responding to media queries about the government's future course of action regarding educational institutes after Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that it is unlikely that schools would be allowed to reopen under the prevailing circumstances.
The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) had earlier decided to shut all schools, colleges, and universities from November 26 and announced that a review meeting would be held in the first week of January.
"The IPEMC would meet on January 4 to review the pandemic situation in the country and make a decision about reopening of educational institutions," Shafqat Mahmood said.
Saeed Ghani on Wednesday said that after evaluating the coronavirus situation, it did not seem possible that educational institutions would reopen in January 2021.
Ghani had reiterated his stance that unlike the last academic year, no student would be promoted to the next year without taking the examination this year.
Meanwhile, the owners of private schools have threatened to hold a long march towards Islamabad if schools were not allowed to resume classes from January 11.
According to a statement issued by the federal education ministry, the meeting will be held as per revised schedule on January 4, 2021 (Monday) at 11:30am under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for FE&PT through video link.
The ministers would deliberate upon the following issues:
i.Health updates on respective provinces / regions by Ministry of NHSR&C.
ii.Discussion on reopening educational institutions.
iii.School and Board Exams to be held in last week of May and early June 2021 to allow for completion of academic course work.
iv.Reduction in Spring and Summer vacations.
v.New Academic Session of 2021-22 to begin from August 2021
vi.Implementation status of CCI decision on BECS&NCHD
vii.Inputs on National Education Policy.
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