Private schools, colleges demand lifting closure orders from mid-August

KARACHI: The All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association (APPSCA) has demanded the federal government to lift the closure orders for the educational institutions from mid-August, ARY News reported on Thursday.

A delegation of All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association led by its president Malik Abrar Hussain met the federal education minister Shafqat Mahmood.

The delegation apprised Shafqat Mahmood regarding the issues being faced by the educational institutions across the country due to closure orders following the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

Read: ‘Schools to impart education in three shifts after reopening’

Malik Abrar Hussain expressed fear for a major academic loss of the students due to interruption in educational activities. He elaborated that thousands of schools have been closed and millions of educators have lost their jobs, whereas, the suspension of academic activities is also increasing the rate of child labour.

Hussain demanded the federal authorities for releasing the order to reopen all educational institutions from mid-August.

The meeting was also attended by APPSCA representatives including the association’s secretary-general Muhammad Ashraf Hiraj, Shahid Hameed, Rana Sohail Ahmed, Ilyas Kiyani, Irfan Mazhar, Naseem Akhtar and Nilofar.

Read: ‘No decision taken for reopening schools from August 15 in Sindh’

On July 10, the Ministry of Federal Education had ordered all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to make arrangements for reopening of educational institutions from September 15 with strict enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs). The orders had been released after the decision taken by the National Coordination Committee (NCC).

The ministry had asked the authorities to put COVID-19 SOPs in place before the resumption of educational activities in their concerned provinces. All the provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan had been provided with copies of the decision made by the NCC about reopening of schools.

It had been decided to reopen the education department’s administrative offices from July 15 while the final decision about the resumption of classes will be taken in the last week of August.