Pakistan private schools to be reopened January 11: association

The All Pakistan Private Schools’ Federation has announced that it would reopen educational institutes across the country from January 11.

The statement came hours after the government announced reopening schools from January 18.

The second wave of coronavirus didn’t hit Pakistan, it was rather brought to the country, APPSF President Kashif Mirza and Senior Vice-President Malik Abrar said at a press conference in Islamabad.

Mirza said the opposition held massive rallies and it was responsible for the spread of the virus. “Not a single country was locked down and only smart lockdowns were imposed in the entire world,” he said.

The academic year of students is being wasted because of the uniform curriculum initiative, according to the APPSF president. They [government] don’t have books which is why such steps are being taken.

Nearly 70 million teachers lost their jobs due to the lockdown, Mirza lamented. “We will reopen schools across the country on January 11, which will be followed by reopening of colleges and universities.”

He described online classes as a “farce” and warned of a long march on Islamabad in case of any opposition or arrests.

APPSF President Pervez Haroon said they would not let the authorities waste the academic year in the name of uniform curriculum.

The session would start in April and exams will be held in March, he said.

Pakistan schools and coronavirus

All educational institutions across the country were closed late February after coronavirus cases spiked. They were reopened in phases starting September 15.

Universities, colleges, and classes IX and X resumed from September 15. The students from classes VI to VIII were called to schools from September 23 and the students enrolled below class VI started from September 30.

To compensate for the lost time, Pakistan’s educational institutions decided to remain open on Saturdays and not winter vacations this year, according to a notification issued by the federal education ministry.

On November 23, after the second wave of coronavirus hit the country, the government announced that all educational institutes in Pakistan will close again from November 26.

Classes were taken online till December 24 and winter vacations started from December 25 and will last till January 10. The government said it will hold a meeting to review the decision to reopen schools on January 4.

On the other hand, Ghani said he doesn’t think schools across Pakistan will reopen in January.

The minister said that under given circumstances, where the second wave of the novel coronavirus has gripped the country, it is highly unlikely that educational institutions will reopen.