Educational institutions reopen after six months

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Educational institute in Capital sealed as 16 Covid-19 cases surface
news agencies
ISLAMABAD/Peshawar
The educational process in the country has resumed after re-opening of educational institutions on Tuesday, ending a six-month long closure due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In the wake of the announcement of the education ministry, all higher education institutions, imparting education to the students from class nine to twelve and above-stated conducting classes on Tuesday.
According to the SOPs issued by the government, masks are mandatory for all teachers and students, while the administrations of the educational institutions will ensure availability of sensitizers at the entry gates.
According to the decision taken by the federal government, if the pandemic situation remains controlled then students in grade six to eight will return to school on September 23, while students in nursery to grade five will return to classes on September 30.
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) urged the parents and teachers to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued for the safety of students.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan in his Twitter post said they will welcome millions of children back to school on Tuesday (today).
Educational institutions reopened across KP
The educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities have been reopened across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday.
All the government and private educational institutions of 9th grade and above classes were reopened under a set of standards operating procedures (SOPs) today as per the decision of the Federal Government.
If the pandemic situation remain controlled, then students in grade six to eight will return to school on September 23, while students in nursery to grade five will return to classes on September 30.
These educational institutions were closed in March due to coronavirus and were opened today after a gap of six and half months.
SOPs for all educational institutions of public and private sectors have been prepared by Education Department underwhich use of masks for all students and teachers, besides cleanliness of schools on daily basis was made mandatory.
The management of educational institutions have been directed to make arrangements for availability of soaps and water for washing of hands of the students and teachers with regular intervels, ensure distancing of students in class rooms and avoiding shaking of hands and hugging in educational institutions.
Holding of assembly and others such like gatherings besides taking or sharing of meals would not be permitted.
In case of COVID-19 symptoms, the parents have been asked not to send their children to schools, colleges and universities.
KP Government has constituted special committees at districts and schools level with representation to all stakeholders to ensure implementation of SOPs.
District Education Officers (DEOs) will lead a six members mointoring committees in their respective districts comprising a Principal (BS 20), SDEOs, ASDEOs, chairman of teachers-parents councils and a representative of the health department.
The schools committees would be headed by headmaster, teachers and community members. These committees would be further monitored by Education Mointoring Authority, Government of KP.
These committees would ensure implementation of SOPs in schools, colleges and universities besides preparing reports of the teachers and students in case of symptoms of coronavirus, which would be submitted to education department on weekly basis.
16 coronavirus cases
An educational institute in Islamabad has been sealed after 16 cases were reported from the institution during targeted testing, confirmed National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday.
As per details shared by the NCOC, the institution was sealed after surfacing 16 coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, the contact tracing is currently underway to contain the spread of the virus.
Schools, colleges and universities across Pakistan have been reopened, ending a nearly six-month-long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had said that the federal authorities would assist the educational institutions for conducting coronavirus tests wherever it is required.
Shafqat Mahmood, while talking to journalists during a visit to a government school in the federal capital, had urged the administration of educational centres for strict implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“We are monitoring every school while transport services for students would also be monitored. There are around 215 universities in the country and almost every university has a hostel,” he said.
“Such education centres would be closed after a warning over violation of SOPs as it is very important to maintain safety guidelines to stop the spread of the virus,” he said.