ISLAMABAD-Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) on Friday sought information from public sector school departments of all provinces for development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding safe re-opening of educational institutes.
The letter has been issued to School Education Department Punjab, School and College Department Karachi, Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education Department KP, Secretary Secondary Education Department Balochistan, Director General FGEIs, Ministry of Defence, Secretary Education and Special Education Department GB, Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education Department AJK and DG FDE Islamabad.
The notification issued to all provinces has sought the information regarding availability of clean drinking water and washrooms in the schools and colleges.
The notice issued said that the Federal Education and Professional Training Division is in process of introducing national guidelines for safe re-opening of education institutes in the country in consultation with all stakeholders.
It said that the essence of these guidelines is safety of students with multidimensional aspects particularly with reference to their hygienic needs and availability of water and sanitation facilities in the educational institutions.
It further said that for this purpose, the following information is required in respect of all educational institutions under your administrative jurisdiction.
Ministry of FE&PT asked provincial departments dealing with school education to provide the information regarding educational institutions with clean drinking water facility/running water, educational institutions without clean drinking water facility/running water and educational institutions without proper washroom facilities.
The notification was issued to educational departments of all provinces to provide the information assigning top-priority.
Earlier, the inter-provincial education ministries had also announced opening of educational institutions in the country from September 15, 2020. However, the private educational institutions and Madaris had demanded to open the institutions from August 15, 2020.
The decision of opening educational institutions from September 15 was taken in a meeting of Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ Conference. The conference was presided over by Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) Shafqat Mahmood. The meeting discussed the devolution of education after 18th amendment, reopening of educational institutions and uniform education system in the country.
The Ministry of FE&PT sent the guidelines of standard operating procedures to all provinces in this regard. The conference also agreed that permission of conducting exams also brought positive results as no surge in pandemic was observed during exams.
A delegation of private schools had held a meeting with the federal education ministers and conveyed its concerns about the financial loss of educational institutions due to closure.
NAPS delegation led by Malik Imran had urged the government to announce a relief package for the private educational institutions and allow their early opening following the SOPs.