Centre seeks recommendations from provinces on reopening of schools

ISLAMABAD : The federal government has asked the provincial authorities to come up with their proposals to resume academic activities amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Ministry of Education sought proposals to reopen education institutes on a trial basis in the country. It will convene an inter-provincial conference of education ministers to thrash out a strategy to resume educational activities. The Ministry of Education instructed all provinces to put forward their suggestions by June 23. They are required to suggest steps about how to protect students and teachers from the coronavirus contagion.The conference will discuss reopening of the schools on a trial basis. The final decision in this regard will be taken on July 2 at the Inter-Provincial Ministers Conference. After the proposed conference, the ministry will forward its recommendations to the National Coordination Committee (NCC) to take a final decision with regard to resumption of academic activities in the country. Earlier, June 18, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed that distance education and easy access to the teaching process from various sources should be ensured and all available means should be utilised for the purpose. Presiding over a high-level meeting in Islamabad to review progress on educational reforms, PM Imran said that the education sector was facing extraordinary challenges due to COVID-19 outbreak; however, every effort should be made to ensure that the teaching process is not affected in any way.