KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said on Wednesday it was “unlikely” that schools would be allowed to resume classes from mid-January, as had been announced by the central government last month.
“Keeping in view the ongoing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, it is unlikely that education institutes would be reopened in January 2021,” said Ghani while addressing a press conference in Karachi on Wednesday.
However, the provincial minister asserted that unlike the last term in the first wave of the pandemic, students would not be promoted to new grades without sitting for exams this time.
Pakistan recorded 2,256 new coronavirus cases countrywide and 111 deaths over the last 24 hours as a second wave of the epidemic has gathered momentum, government data released on Wednesday showed.
The statement comes as Sindh’s coronavirus tally reached 206,489 cases, of which 32,139 infections were recorded in just the last 22 days. Around 444 people succumbed to the contagion in the province since the start of December.
Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood will be chairing the meeting in the first week of the next month.
Matters related to the reopening of educational institutions, new academic session, reduction in summer vacation, the pandemic situation in the country, board examinations and other issues will be discussed in the meeting.
On November 23, the federal government had announced to shut all educational institutions from November 26 to December 24 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
“It has been decided to close all educational institutions across Pakistan from November 26 till December 24. Winter vacations will start from December 25 to January 10,” Shafqat Mahmood had announced at a press conference after a meeting of inter-provincial education ministers.
The schools were scheduled to reopen on January 11.
