Educational institutions opening policy announced, winter holidays have been abolished

Karachi (HRNW)- Sindh Minister for Education and Labor Saeed Ghani has said that we have announced to open educational institutions in phases from September 15. However, it is a difficult decision and teachers as well as parents have a full role to play in it. Have to do. Under this year’s education policy, Saturdays and winter holidays have been abolished, while next year’s summer holidays will be only one month in July. Committees have been formed at district and provincial level to monitor public and private schools, while commissioners of all districts have also been taken on board in this regard so that the problems faced with regard to local government can also be resolved. This year the academic year will be from 15th September to 15th April while the next academic year will start from 3rd May 2021. The private schools will be allowed to increase the fees by only 5% as per the decision of the Supreme Court. However, no private school will be allowed to charge any additional charges for Covid 19. He expressed these views during a high-level meeting of the education department on Friday and later at a press conference. Sindh Education Secretary Ahmed Bakhsh Narejo, Secretary Colleges Baqir Naqvi, Additional Secretary Education Asif Memon, Dr Fauzia Khan and others were also present on the occasion. Earlier, all the senior officers including District Education Officers, Directors, RSU Chief Program Manager Hanif, DG Private School Mansoob Siddiqui were present under the chairmanship of the Provincial Minister for Education. The meeting instructed all the officers to take all precautionary measures and fully implement the issued SOPs before opening the educational institutions and stressed that the department should take precautionary measures against the opening of educational institutions. Ensure full implementation of SOPs issued by the Ministry of Education and Health and ensure that no child enters school without a mask. Later in a press conference, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that all educational institutions across the province are being opened in phases from September 15, under which in the first phase from class IX to universities, in the second phase from September 22 to class 6. From 8th while pre-primary and primary classes are being opened from 28th September. “This is a difficult decision because opening educational institutions is a difficult task compared to other institutions, including markets,” he said. “We must remember that the number of cases of the corona virus has decreased across the country at the moment, but it has not completely disappeared and, God willing, it may increase again,” he said. Saeed Ghani said that in view of these concerns, we have to take unnecessary precautions. Saeed Ghani said that this time when the educational institutions open, the situation will be completely different not only for the children but also for the teachers and parents. Therefore, extreme care must be taken and while the department, teachers and others have to play a role in this, the parents of these children will also have a heavy responsibility to ensure that they take precaution in this regard. Saeed Ghani said that we are also launching a campaign in this regard through print, electronic media and radio while precautionary measures and SOPs will also be spread in this regard. Saeed Ghani added that he wanted to make it clear that if a parent is not satisfied with the school’s arrangements, they should not send their children to school and that children who want to study online will be able to do so. “After the coronavirus, we have started creating children’s IDs for online education through Microsoft for classes 6 to 12, and so far more than 500,000 out of 1.3 million children have received IDs,” he said. Days have been created while 2262 schools have been registered under digital classes and training of 20997 teachers has been completed and this program will continue in future also. “I will personally visit all over the province to monitor the schools while our secretaries and directors will also visit different districts and monitor the situation,” he said. In addition, we have set up monitoring committees under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners, which will include DEOs, DHOs, RSUs, education officers and members of civil society. While a committee has been formed for the commissioners of all the districts who are also the administrators of these districts at present so that if there is any local body issue, it can also be resolved. Saeed Ghani said that this year the academic year will be from September 15 to April 15, 2021 and during this time the curriculum of all classes has been reduced while the annual examinations from class 4 to 8 will be held from April 12, examinations from class 1 to 3 and They will be promoted in the next classes from 19th April 2021, 9th and 10th annual examinations from 7th to 17th April 2021 and 11th and 12th class examinations from 18th May to 29th May 2021. He said that next year the academic year will start from May 3, 2021 and summer vacations have been limited to one month of July 2021 while this year Saturday vacations and winter vacations have been abolished. He said that next year’s academic year up to class 9th to 12th will start in August 2021. Responding to a question, he said that a report has been prepared regarding the schools which have been made relief camps after rains and floods. And these schools will not reopen immediately. In response to another question, he said that UNICEF, WHO and other agencies were providing equipment for providing masks, hand sanitizers and other facilities to the schools but it was not possible to make the equipment available in all districts and schools. For this, we have allowed the purchase of goods from SMC funds of these schools only in respect of Corona while we will also provide mobile handwash bathrooms for hand washing in these schools.