Coronavirus: Govt took the 'right decision to close schools,' says Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood

• Educational institutions will reopen as soon as the COVID-19 situation is under control, says Shafqat Mahmood
• The education minister previously said it was a tough decision to close schools but SOPs violations pushed the govt to make the move
• Government has announced that schools will resume activities on January 11 after reviewing the coronavirus situation in the country during the first week of the upcoming year

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Tuesday said that owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, the government took the "right decision" to close educational institutions in a timely fashion.

Taking to Twitter, the minister assured students that all schools and colleges will reopen as soon as the coronavirus situation is under control. 

"Students should rest assured that the moment things get better all institutions will open, Shafqat Mahmood stated. "I am greatly concerned about their education."

Earlier this month, Minister Shafqat Mahmood had said that educational institutions had to be closed down because coronavirus infections were rising very fast. He, however, added that the decision was taken "with a heavy heart."

“I request all students to use this time not as a holiday but to revise their courses, do homework,” he had stated on Twitter. "In short, continue with studies as much as possible."

Read more: Schools shut because coronavirus SOPs were not being followed: Shafqat Mahmood

Speaking to Geo News last month, Shafqat Mahmood said that schools had to be closed because the government's coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not being properly followed, which led to a rise in positive cases across the country. 

"The SOPs were not being followed as they should have been," he had said, adding that health department data showed rapid virus transmission in educational institutes.

Stressing that children's health cannot be taken lightly, Mahmood maintained that there were around 50 million students across the country, making one-fourth of the country's population. 

"They can become carriers. So it was necessary to shut down schools," he had said.

On November 24, the government had announced that all schools across the country will remain closed until January 10, 2021, in the wake of the rising coronavirus cases. 

According to the announced schedule, all students were required to study at home from November 26 to December 24. 

The students will have their winter break starting from December 25, 2020, until January 10, 2021.

All educational institutions across the country will resume activities on January 11, 2021, after reevaluation of the situation in the first week of January.