ISLAMABAD: Federal minister for education Shafqat Mahmood announced on Monday that educational institutions would reopen across the country in three phases starting January 18, after closing schools and universities in late November to curb new coronavirus infections.
On November 26, the government announced that students, including those at higher educational institutions as well as in private schools, were expected to continue classes through distance learning until December 24 and then go on winter break until January 11.
“On January 18, grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 — those that have exams — will resume,” Mahmood said during a news conference, reported by Pakistani media. “This means that students of grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 will go to their schools and colleges from January 18 and their studies will resume.”
In the second phase, students in primary school up to grade 8 will would start classes from January 25.
The minister said universities and other higher educational institutions would reopen from February 1 in the third and last phase.
Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas also tweeted the schedule for resumption of classes in the country’s largest province:
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Opening of Educational Institutions in Punjab.
Classes 9,10,11,12 to open on January 18th 2021. Classes ECE through 8th to open on January 25th, 2021. Universities to open on February 1st, 2021. All institutions will have 50% students on alternate days as before.— Murad Raas (@DrMuradPTI) January 4, 2021
Pakistan reported 1.895 new cases on Monday, and 39 deaths from the pandemic in the last 24 hours, a drop from the last few weeks. There have been 488,529 total cases in the country recorded so far, and 10,350 deaths.
The South Asian country has ruled out a wide-ranging lockdown, opting to close down non-essential public gatherings in a bid to keep the economy afloat through the pandemic.
