Punjab notifies reopening of primary schools, universities from February 1

• Primary and middle schools and universities across Punjab are reopening from February 1
• Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas urges students and teachers to follow coronavirus SOPs
• Students from all the educational institutes will attend classes on alternative days

All public and private primary and middle schools and universities will be reopened February 1, the Punjab government notified on Friday as per an earlier decision made by the National Command and Operation Centre. 

Punjab education minister Dr Murad Raas shared the notification on Twitter. 

It identifies all the details regarding the opening of educational institutes and the standard operating procedures that are to be followed.

According to the notification, students from all the educational institutes will attend classes on alternative days. The student ratio must remain at a 50% on each day.

The provincial department stated that the board examinations for SSC and HSSC students will be held in May and June.

“The Accelerated learning Programme (ALP) communicated earlier shall continue to be followed by the Public Schools. Assessment criteria and Examinations schedule for 5th and 8th grade shall be communicated separately by the Punjab Examination Commission,” read the notification.

Read more: Wear a mask, protect each other from COVID-19, Punjab education minister tells teachers, students

The department reminded all schools to “ensure strict implementations of SOPs” that have been communicated over time by the Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department and School Education Department, Punjab.

“School timing shall be observed as per previous practice in winter season,” added the notification.

Pakistan decides to reopen schools

On January 16, the federal education minister had held a high-level meeting at the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) to review the decision to reopen educational institutions amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

During the meeting, it was decided that classes will start for students of grades nine to 12 from January 18 as decided earlier.

Pakistan decides to reopen schools after two-month break amid coronavirus pandemic 

Unlike the previous year, the federal and provincial governments also decided that students will not be promoted without exams.

A one-week extension was granted to start the classes for students of grades 1-8. They were earlier supposed to start by January 25.

It was decided that primary schools will reopen from February 1, while higher education institutes will also reopen from February 1 as decided earlier.