Educational institutions to remain closed till April 11: Shafqat

News Desk

The educational institutions will remain closed in the selected districts including Islamabad till 11th of next month due to the rising cases of the novel Covid19 pandemic.

This has been decided by the government at a joint meeting of education and health ministers headed by the Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood in Islamabad on Wednesday.

After the meeting, the Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, while briefing the media persons, has said that keeping in view the Covid19 situation, the provincial governments will decide the districts where the educational institutions will remain closed. He said that the coronavirus situation is very serious in certain districts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir. However, the intensity of the virus is relatively less in Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan.

Shafqat Mahmood has recalled that earlier the educational institutions were closed from 15th to 28th March in some districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as the federal capital in the light of spike in coronavirus cases. He said they are cognizant of the fact that the closure of educational institutions is affecting the education of children. However, he said the health of children is our priority.

“The next meeting of the education and health ministers will be held on the 7th of next month to review the whole situation and then take the decision accordingly,” he said, adding that board examinations of classes nine, ten, eleven and twelve will be held as per the timetable.