IPEMC to consider reopening of educational institutes on August 5

ISLAMABAD: Federal government on Friday summoned an Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) to consider the re-opening of educational institutes on August 5. Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Shafqat Mahmood, will chair the high-level meeting on the issue of re-opening schools on August 5. Provincial education ministers and other senior officials will attend the conference via video link. The federal ministry of education has released the three-point agenda of the 19th Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference. The decision to open educational institutions and the Coronavirus situation will be reviewed at the conference. The meeting will also review measures for online education after COVID-19 is contained, while the conference will also discuss the appointment and transfer of federal and provincial education department employees. On July 9, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood had announced phase-wise reopening of educational institutes across the country from September 15. The minister said that the decision was taken during the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting. Educational institutes have been granted permission to open their administrative offices and faculty departments by ensuring strict implementation on standard operating procedures (SOPs), he asserted. Shafqat Mehmood said that students faced immense difficulties during online classes in low internet coverage areas. The decision of reopening the institutions will be reviewed in August’s first and third week in the wake of coronavirus situation in the country, he went on to say.In March 2020, the Pakistani government had closed all the schools, colleges and universities due to the coronavirus outbreak.The decision was taken in a meeting of the National Security Committee, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Twitter.