Decision on schools closure in Pakistan to be announced tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The decision regarding closure of schools in Pakistan amid the rising number of coronavirus cases will be taken tomorrow (23rd November) during the meeting of all education ministers and the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC).

Schools Closure Pakistan, Schools Pakistan, Shafqat Mahmood, Murad Raas — Decision on schools closure in Pakistan to be announced tomorrow.

“To all those eagerly awaiting the outcome of tomorrow’s inter provincial education ministers meeting: I will be holding a press conference at 12:30pm after the conclusion of the meeting,” said the Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood in his tweet.

To all those eagerly awaiting the outcome of tomorrow’s inter provincial education ministers meeting. I will be holding a press conference at 12.30 after the conclusion of the meeting in which all decisions would be announced .
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) November 22, 2020

A meeting of the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) was held last Monday to take a decision regarding early and extended winter vacations for schools in Pakistan but the matter was deferred till 23rd November.

However, some provincial education ministers are against the idea of closing schools in Pakistan to avoid the loss the education and make up for the time already wasted during the first lockdown period.

Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas stated that a decision will be made based on the actual data being presented regarding the coronavirus situation in the province.

If I close the Schools people are not happy. If I keep the schools open people are not happy. Let me just inform everyone that decision will be made on DATA that is being given to me. Lives matter the most. Zero pressure on me from either side. Sensible decisions have to be made.
— Murad Raas (@MuradRaasMR) November 21, 2020

However, the Punjab education minister mentioned that he was against closing of schools in Pakistan and especially in the province and would try and push his views in the meeting with the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Monday (23rd November).

On the other hand, the Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani also stated that the provincial education department has decided against any winter vacations after a meeting of all key stakeholders in the sector.

Moreover, it was decided that students will not be promoted again without proper examinations being conducted unlike previously when closed were closed during the first wave of coronavirus in Pakistan.

The education minister was against the idea of a complete closure of schools and stated that instead of taking such a drastic decision, there should be stricter implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) at educational institutes instead.

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