Educational institutions, including schools, colleges and tuition centres, will be shut down from November 26 till January 11, said Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Monday.
The announcement comes following the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting today which was attended by all provincial education ministers. NCOC decided that home schooling and online education will continue till December 24 and winter holidays will be given from December 25th to January 10. The education minister assured that no student will be sent home without homework.
“From January 11, if the situation improves, we hope we can once again open all educational institutions.”
The education minister further stated that the NCOC has decided to postpone all examinations scheduled for December, however, some “professional exams” would continue according to schedule. He added that on campus hostels will be allowed to lodge students up to one third of their full capacity.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that entrance exams for universities and colleges would be held according to their schedule as it was possible to manage standard operating procedures (SOPs) for such exams.
Shafqat Mehmood concluded the presser by saying the NCOC recommends that board exams that were scheduled for March or April, be pushed forward till May and June. The coordination body also recommends that the new academic year, which usually starts in April in public schools, be postponed till August, along with an appropriate reduction in summer vacations.
