Pakistan issues SOPs for schools as they prepare to reopen

Pakistan has prepared guidelines for educational institutes as they prepare to reopen on September 15.

The final decision on the reopening of the institutes will be made on September 7 in a meeting chaired by Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.

The education ministry has issued the following instructions to the schools and parents.

• Parents must pick and drop their own children and not let them use public transport.
• All students will be screened as soon as they enter the school building.
• Students won’t be allowed to sit in classes if they have flu, cough, or fever.
• It is compulsory for all students to maintain social distancing, wash their hands, and wear maks.
• No assembly will be held.
• Classes to be held in two shifts of four hours each.
• Break/Recess will be given to students in shifts too.
• There should not be any rush outside canteens and students must bring food from home.

On Friday, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood and Dr Faisal Sultan, the PM’s assistant on health, issued a list of precautionary measures that all schools will have to follow when educational institutions reopen.

Schools and parents will have to adhere to the following instructions after the institutions reopen:

• First secondary classes will start first after which primary classes will begin
• The number of students in a class will be reduced, which means that half of the students will attend the session one day and the other half on the other day
• Students will have to wear face masks at all times. Dr Sultan said that it’s better if the masks are made at home
• Social distancing and washing hands should be strictly implemented
• Sanitisers should be installed in schools and students should be encouraged to use them repeatedly
• Every student attending school in-person will have to get tested for coronavirus in two weeks
• Students with lower immunity levels should not be sent to school
• Students will have lunch inside class during breaks

No winter vacations

Pakistan’s educational institutions will remain open on Saturdays and will have no winter vacations this year, according to a notification issued by the federal education ministry.

The institutions have been instructed to hold special classes on Saturdays.

All educational institutions across the country were closed in late February after coronavirus cases had spiked. According to reports, the cases are on a downward trend now. Following this, the private schools owners have been demanding the schools be reopened immediately.