Educational institutions to be reopened from Sept 15 – Federal Minister for Education

The Federal Minister for Education, Professional Training, Heritage and Culture Shafqat Mahmood has announced that the government has decided to reopen educational institutions from September 15 with observance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) against COVID-19.

The statement was made by Shafqat Mahmood in a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday adding that the government will review the situation about the spread of coronavirus and implementation of the SOPs in August.

He said the federal government will formulate SOPs and share them with the provincial governments which will be authorized to close the institutions, which do not observe SOPs.

Shafqat Mahmood said the educational institutions can open their administrative offices and call teachers before reopening of the institutions and practice the SOPs.

He said universities can permit their PhD students to do research at the laboratories with limited number. He said universities can also allow their students to reside at the hostels with maximum 30 percent occupancy from August.

The Minister said institutions can conduct examinations spanning maximum four days with SOPs from the second week of July.

Shafqat Mahmood warned that the implementation of the SOPs will be strictly monitored.