ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government announced on Monday that it would be allowing the “phased” reopening of all educational institutions from September 15 as the number of daily coronavirus infections and deaths has registered a steady decline in the South Asian nation since mid-June in the country. 

Schools were closed in March when the government enforced a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Authorities started lifting strict curbs in May and last month allowed almost all businesses and the tourism sector to reopen. Schools, however, remained closed across the country.
“The educational institutions will be reopened in stages,” federal education minister Shafqat Mahmood said while announcing the decision for a phased reopening, flanked by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan. “This is a difficult decision and challenging phase as this involves the whole nation’s children.”

Mahmood said all higher educational institutions including universities, intermediate and professional colleges, would be reopened from September 15, while grades six through eighth grade would reopen on September 23 and primary schools would resume classes from September 30. 

“The decision is made through a consultative process, and we will keep reviewing it to ensure the safety and health of our students,” he said, warning that strict action would be taken against schools if they failed to follow health guidelines. 

Sultan said the government would be carrying out screenings in selected schools and colleges every two weeks to keep a check on the spread of the virus and ensure that rules were being followed. 

“We won’t lower our guard, and [will] keep tracking the virus,” he said, urging students and educational institutions to follow health guidelines including wearing face masks and using sanitizers to stem the virus spread. 

Meanwhile, the private schools’ association has rejected the government’s decision to allow a phased reopening, saying all schools should be allowed to reopen or students’ performance would be affected. 

“Only six months are left to complete this academic year, and obviously we won’t be able to cover the complete course in this short span of time,” Abrar Hussain, president of the All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association, told Arab News. 

He urged the government to reopen all educational institutions including primary schools from September 15 to prevent further loss of students. 

“If we reduce the length of the courses, this will definitely hurt students’ ability to clear professional exams ahead,” Hussain said.