Still unclear if schools will reopen: Shafqat Mahmood

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Islamabad, 1st January: Keeping in view the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and rising number of active cases, it is still not clear whether schools across the country will be opened from 11th of January or not.

Baaghi TV: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said on Friday that it was unclear whether educational institutions would be allowed to reopen on January 11, 2021.

The federal minister informed that authorities would review the education policy considering the new highly infectious new strain of COVID-19. “The final decision would be made on the advice of health ministry as this is fundamentally their domain. We cannot risk children’s health.”

Mahmood further said it was still unclear whether schools would be allowed to reopen on January 11 as planned. “We would seek advice from the health ministry and review the ongoing situation during the January 4 meeting. The decision would be taken then.”

The minister said that the education sector suffered a huge loss during the pandemic by remaining closed from March 2020 through September 2020. “We had to close down again in November 2020. But we also adapted. Within 15 days we introduced television school and now we are about to launch radio schooling while universities have moved to online classes.”

Education ministers of both Sindh and Punjab had earlier said it was unlikely that schools would be reopened in January due to the second wave of coronavirus.

It was reported earlier by Baaghi TV that private schools associations across the country have opposed keeping schools shuts.

On Thursday, a private school council demanded the government to reopen schools on January 11 as planned and also sought an economic relief package. “The government should suspend the registration fee and taxes for a year.”

It is pertinent to note that in November 2020, the federal government, on recommendations by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), had announced that educational institutes will remain closed from November 26 to January 10.

The schools are scheduled to reopen on January 11.

Stay tuned to Baaghi TV to read further updates!

Schools likely to reopen from 11th January

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