ISLAMABAD: All educational institutions, including universities, will reopen from September 15, said Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood in a news conference on Thursday.
The minister said that the government will review its decision in the August or first week of September to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. Taking a look at the health indicators and the ministry may review the situation if the need arises.
“We are allowing universities to call PhD students, who are very few in number, to their laboratories for research work before September 15,” he said. “As to how they do that, we leave it up to him.”
He said that the government was permitting universities also to admit students into hostels and dorms up to 30%. However, he said that ‘health checks’ which included tests and temperature checks will be done strictly by universities.
Mahmood said that educational institutions can call teachers and administration staff to duty before September 15. He said that provinces will be responsible for ensuring SOPs that are followed.
“It is my request to private schools, especially, that the SOPs that you will have to follow will be the ones that are made by the government,” he said.
Education Direct had reported on Wednesday that the government had decided to reopen educational institutions from September. The decision was made in a meeting presided by Shafqat Mahmood along with the provincial education ministers.
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.