KARACHI - Sindh Education and Labor Minister Saeed Ghani on Saturday said all public and private educational institutions would be reopened as per the schedule.

He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of various associations of private educational institutions here which was also attended by Sindh Education Secretary Ahmed Bakhsh Narejo, Director Private Schools Mansoob Ahmed Siddiqui, Educationist Shahnaz Wazir Ali and others. In this regard, the government and administration were making full preparations; there was a heavy responsibility on private educational institutions. They were required to ensure full implementation on the SOPs issued.

Ensure implementation of SOPs issued by parents regarding children arriving in the school van and try to arrange for the children to drop off and pick up the children themselves if possible.

Private educational institutions that have not been able to renew their registration due to corona will be automatically renewed for the next academic year, but they will have to comply with the rules and paperwork in this regard.

Saeed Ghani said that a national policy had been formulated for opening educational institutions and after all consultations, it had been decided to open educational institutions across the country in three different phases.

He said that classes IX to Universities would be opened on September 15, Classes 6 to 8 on September 21 and Pre-Primary and Primary classes on September 28. He made it clear to the private school associations that all private schools should ensure that these dates were fully complied with.

He also urged the SOPs provided by private educational institutions to play their role in ensuring full implementation.

On this occasion, officials of various private educational institutions assured Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani that they had started their preparations in this regard and they were trying to prevent the spread of corona virus in children due to educational institutions. The officials requested the provincial minister to formulate a strategy for the children who come to school by different school vans or transport. Saeed Ghani said that the parents of the children who came to school through school vans and other transports had a heavy responsibility to play their role in this regard and ensure that their children attended the school. 

Arrive in the van to ensure that the van complies with full SOPs.  “My suggestion to the parents is that if they can take any step to bring their children to and from school for a while, it will be in the interest of these children and the other children who study with them,” he said. On this occasion, the Education Minister was asked to help him in this regard as the registration of private educational institutions was not renewed due to the coronavirus, to which the Sindh Education Minister said this time, the registration of the educational institutions which could not be renewed, will be automatically renewed by the next academic year, ie May 2021. 

They have to submit it as soon as possible. 

On this occasion, Saeed Ghani gave a detailed briefing to the Association of Private Schools on the reasons for including Health Department officers in the Monitoring Committees formed at the provincial and district level and in the Monitoring Committee formed at the DC level.

Saeed Ghani urged private schools to ensure strict implementation of other SOPs in their educational institutions, including the use of sprays, sanitizers, masks and hand washing, while providing some kind of food and drink in the canteen inside the school. Keep a complete ban on the sale of items outside the school and also ensure that the sale of items outside the schools is stopped by contacting the concerned Deputy Commissioners or the concerned police station.

He said that in this regard, instructions had also been issued to the committees headed by the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts to ensure implementation of the SOPs.