Universities, colleges to be reopened from Sept 15 across country

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) on Monday decided to reopen universities and colleges in the country from September 15. Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Shafqat Mahmood, chaired the conference on the issue. Ministers from all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir attended the meeting. The IPEMC decided to allow universities and colleges across the country to reopen principally from September 15. During the meeting it was decided that in first phase universities, colleges will be allowed to reopen from September 15 under strict implementation of SOPs and in second phase students of sixth to eight standard will be allowed to return to schools from September 23. it is pertinent to mention here that the concerned authorities will monitor the coronavirus situation following the resumption of classes of 9th graders onward, after which classes six to eight will be allowed to resume. Earlier, Shafqat Mahmood has said the final decision regarding the reopening of educational institutions will be taken with consensus on September 7. He said while talking to the meeting of National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) in Islamabad on Thursday. The NCOC emphasized that the educational institutions must ensure compliance to all Covid protocols and prepare accordingly before the final decision. The forum suggested a strategy about reopening of educational institutions. It said that the institutions be opened on top to bottom approach starting from the Universities to the High Schools on rotation basis. The NCOC proposed that timings of various institutions be staggered with suspending various activities which involve contraction and mass gatherings including co-curricular activities. The forum apprised the participants that tracking, tracing and testing will help arrest any spread. For this, enhance testing of symptomatic children, teachers and school staff will be very beneficial.