Back to school: Grades 9-12, O/A level classes begin
Strict SOP implementation being ensured at schools
Students of classes nine to 12 and O and A Levels across Pakistan returned to school on Monday, January 18, after a break of almost 53 days.
Strict implementation of SOPs is being ensured at schools and temperatures of students are being checked at the entrance and social distancing is being practiced.
Classrooms and halls at schools and colleges were sanitised before the students arrived. Hand sanitisers have been installed at multiple points inside the campuses as well.
Last week, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced that primary to grade eight and universities will reopen from February 1.
Tomorrow classes 9 to 12, O and A level go back to school/ college. Wish them the very best. Their future is our main priority.
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) January 17, 2021
In a tweet on Monday, he wished all the students returning to school good luck. "Their future is our main priority," he said.
In a recent NCOC meeting, the education ministers of all provinces agreed that no students will be passed without exams this year. For this reason, grades nine to 12 were reopened earlier as these students will soon be appearing for assessments.
Pakistan schools and coronavirus
All educational institutions across the country were closed late February after coronavirus cases began to rise. They were reopened in phases starting September 15.
Universities, colleges, and classes IX and X resumed from September 15. 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 have winter vacations.
On November 23, after the second wave of coronavirus cases hit the country, the government announced that all educational institutions would close again from November 26.
Classes were taken online till December 24 and winter vacations started from December 25 and were supposed to last till January 10. The government said it would hold a meeting to review the decision to reopen schools on January 4.
The NCOC then decided that schools would reopen in phases with classes nine to 12 being the first to reopen on January 18.
