ISLAMABAD: Barring Sindh, educational institutions across the country, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) would be opened in a staggered manner, students and officials related to higher education are required to get vaccinated latest by August 31 and students of grades 9 to 12 will get five percent additional marks in compulsory subjects in proportionality to the marks obtained in elective subjects.
These decisions were taken in Inter Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC), Wednesday, presided over by Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood and attended by the education ministers from the provinces, AJK and GB.
Briefing the media regarding the decisions taken in the conclave, Mahmood said, 50 per cent attendance would be retained at educational institutes; schools, colleges and universities, that would be opened in a staggered manner.
In Sindh, where schools are closed till August 8, and exams have been delayed, the provincial government authorities would review the situation, before August 8, against the backdrop of alarming spread of coronavirus, and decide accordingly—regarding opening of schools, he said.
“Except Sindh, all other provinces, the centre, AJK, GB—everyone has unanimously decided to open the educational institutions in a staggered manner while retaining 50 percent attendance in the educational institutions concerned,” the federal education minister said. He said all the education ministers were in favour that marks in compulsory subjects should be awarded in proportionality to the marks obtained in elective subjects for students from classes 9 to 12.
“A recent research suggests that students tend to obtain more marks in compulsory subjects as compared to the elective subjects. So, today, it has been decided that students of classes 9 to 12 would be given 5 percent more marks in proportionality to the marks they would obtain in elective subjects,” he said.
The exams of classes 9 to 12 would be held as per routine while Sindh would issue a new timetable in this regard, Mahmood said.
The education ministers’ conclave expressed concern over drastically low coronavirus vaccination ratio among students and officials related to higher education compared to the other education sector, Shafqat Mahmood said.
In education sector, the vaccination ratio is 83 percent but is very low in higher education sector, the minister said, without giving the percentage of vaccination ratio in higher education.
“The students pursuing higher education are 18-year olds and above. All the students and officials related to higher education would be required to get vaccinated and the deadline fixed in this behalf is August 31,” he said.
Shafqat Mahmood urged the students not to pay heed to rumours on social media, which, he said, were fuelling disinformation related to education, causing uncertainty and panic among the students.
“Don’t believe on rumours and wait for decisions of education authorities that would be duly intimated to you,” he said in his message to students.
“No one knows till when the Covid will last but we have to continue education,” Mahmood said. The next meeting of the education ministers is scheduled on August 25, he maintained.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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