Government decides to reopen schools in three phases: Shafqat Mahmood

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced on Monday that schools and educational institutions will reopen across the country in three phases.

“On January 18, classes for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 — those that have exams — will resume,” he said during a news conference. “This means that students of grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 will go to their schools and colleges from January 18 and their studies will resume.”

He said that in the second phase of the reopening of schools, students of primary classes till grade 8 will start going to schools from January 25. “This means that primary schools, for primary classes till grade 8 will reopen from January 25,” he added.

The minister said that universities and other higher educational institutions will reopen from February 1 in the third and last phase.

Mahmood said the administration staff and teachers of educational institutions can resume their duties at schools, colleges and universities from January 11. “Online and home-based learning, can also be held from January 11,” he said.

The minister announced that board exams have been postponed till May and June as students did not have enough time to prepare for their exams.