ISLAMABAD: The Federals Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has announced that schools located in coronavirus hotspot areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad will remain closed till 11 April 2021.
The decision was made during a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) which was attended by education and health ministers of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) to discuss the coronavirus situation across the country.
Shafqat Mahmood said that keeping in view the coronavirus situation, the provincial governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad will decide the districts where schools will remain closed until 11 April 2021.
The federal minister stated that the government is well aware that the closure of educational institutions is affecting the education of children but the health of students and teachers was the top most priority.
Another meeting of the health and education ministers will take place on 7 April 2021 to review the coronavirus situation and decide whether to reopen or extend the closure of schools across coronavirus hotspots in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad.
Closure of Schools in Punjab
The Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas also announced the decision on Twitter. “All Public & Private schools of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargoda, Sheikhupura will remain closed till April 11th, 2021.” he wrote in his tweet.
However, the education minister mentioned that schools will be open across all other districts as per previous schedule.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
— Murad Raas (@DrMuradPTI) March 24, 2021
All Public & Private schools of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargoda, Sheikhupura will remain closed till April 11th, 2021. The remaining Districts will be open on previous schedule.
Read more: Punjab restricts co-curricular activates in schools.
