ISLAMABAD: Federal and provincial education ministers have decided in principle to start teaching in matric, college and university classes across the country from September 15.
A meeting of inter-provincial education ministers was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood in which all the provincial education ministers participated through video link while Chairman and Executive Director HEC also participated.
Ministry of Health officials briefed the meeting in the light of which it was decided to open educational institutions in three phases.
In the first phase, ninth, matric, college and university classes will be opened from September 15. The situation and cases of corona virus will be reviewed after the opening of classes for major parties.
One week after the review of the situation, in the second phase, teaching will be allowed in the sixth to eighth grades from September 23.
In the third and final phase, classes from 1st to 5th should be opened from September 30. Corona SOPs will be strictly enforced in educational institutions and students will be required to wear masks.
The recommendations of the meeting will be forwarded to the NCOC (National Coordinating Committee) which will approve the final decision.
The issue of uniform curriculum was also discussed in the meeting and establishment of anti-harassment bodies in the provinces was discussed in the Federal Directorate of Education.
The meeting has finalized the decision to open educational institutions as well as the SOPs related to them.
It should be noted that the opening of educational institutions in the country was announced from September 15 last month, but it was subject to the recommendations of the National Command and Operations Center and the approval of the Inter-Provincial Council of Education Ministers.