Educational institutions to reopen in first week of September: sources

ISLAMABAD: Education institutes across the country will reopen in the first week of September; sources informed Geo News on Wednesday.

According to sources, the decision was made in a meeting presided by the Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood along with the provincial education ministers.

Sources said the meeting decided to reopen schools with all the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place. “Schools will be reopened after taking a look at the coronavirus situation in the country. The final decision to reopen schools will be taken by the National Command and Control Centre,” sources added.

Last month, Mahmood had said the government was considering opening schools with implementation of SOPs and suggestions had been sought from the seminaries (Madaris) and private institutions of all provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The education minister had added that the education ministry, through UNICEF, was in consultation with those countries which had opened schools under various SOPs.

He added that consultations were also being held with the UNICEF on the policy of the government.