'National TV' to be launched for resuming academic sessions across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The federal authorities have made important decisions including the launching of a ‘national television’ for the resumption of academic sessions due to the closure of educational institutions in view of coronavirus cases across the country, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The decisions were taken in a high-level meeting under the chair of Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood to review alternative mechanism for resuming educational activities amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic across the country.

It is decided to reduce academic loss due to long closure of educational institutions across Pakistan as a precautionary measure to contain COVID-19.

Read: Pakistan reports seventh coronavirus death, first in Punjab

The concerned authorities have decided to launch a national television to initiate distance learning academic classes for the students while staying at their homes.

Federal Directorate of Education will establish emergency learning centres across the country, whereas, subject specialists will finalise a schedule for the delivery of lectures after reviewing curriculums, said sources. The government has also agreed to formulate a curriculum with the participation of educational service providers.

The federal minister will review the alternative educational programme on a daily basis. It emerged that the ‘national TV’ will begin broadcasting academic session from the first week of April.

Read: Gilgit Baltistan announces recovery of four coronavirus patients

Earlier in the day, as part of preventive measures to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in the province, the Punjab government announced to extend the closure of all the public and private educational institutions till May 30.

According to sources, the decision was made during a cabinet meeting presided by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. These holidays would be treated as summer vacations. The educational institutions will reopen on June 1 across the province, the sources added.

Following the steep rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, the provincial go

Pakistan, online, broadcast, education, coronavirus

vernments have imposed weeks-long lockdown to halt public movements to stop further spread of the disease among citizens, whereas, the educational institutions had been closed for academic activities before the imposition of lockdowns.