DESPITE clear improvement in Covid-19 situation, the decision of the Government to go for phased reopening of educational institutions is appreciable as lives of the children and their health is more important than any other consideration. Briefing the media along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan after chairing Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said in the first phase, students of universities, intermediate (11th and 12th) and secondary (9th and 10th) classes would be allowed to resume their studies from September 15. In the second phase, the students of sixth, seventh and eighth classes would be allowed to attend their schools from September 23, while primary classes (one to five) would restart on September 30.
Going by what is happening in most of the countries of the world where coronavirus is resurging, Pakistan is luckiest as normalcy is returning in all spheres of life within six months. The achievement was made possible due to a combination of factors including vigilance on the part of the federal and provincial governments and cooperation of the people when the virus spread was at its peak. The reopening of the educational institutions was contingent upon the situation emerging after Eid-ul-Fitr and Moharram processions and the decision to go ahead with earlier plans of reopening of educational institutions in phases from September 15 is reflective of continued improvement in ground situation. No doubt, improvement is satisfying but the threat is not totally over as resumption of normal contacts with the outside world could lead to spread of the virus once again in the country. The Government seems to be mindful of the dangers and that is the Minister described it as really a difficult and tough decision to reopen the educational institutions, adding constant monitoring of the first phase would be carried out before going for the second and third phases. Much depends on observance of precautionary measures both by managements of public and private educational institutions and parents/students. Studies of children have suffered hugely due to lockdown and closure of institutions and their reopening is, therefore, widely being hailed by people besides owners of private educational institutions who have been pressurizing the Government to allow normal activities because of monetary losses. Now, it is hoped that management of educational institutions would strictly follow the SOPs so that the decision doesn’t prove harmful for children.
