ISLAMABAD: The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) scheduled to meet on Wednesday (today) will consider the re-opening of educational institutes.

The Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Shafqat Mahmood, will chair the high-level meeting on the issue of re-opening schools under Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

It was decided in the last meeting to finalise a roadmap for reopening of educational institutes by the first week of July, 2020.

The meeting was earlier scheduled to meet on July 2nd, however, the mother of federal education minister passed away, and the meeting was postponed till July 8th.

In the last meeting, it was informed that the federal government in consultation with the provinces is preparing a roadmap for reopening of educational institutes in the country, keeping in view all aspects of safety, as around 70 percent parents agreed to send their children to educational institutes under SOPs.

"Consultations with provincial governments and other stakeholders are underway to prepare a roadmap for safe reopening of educational institutes in the country, and are hopeful to reach a decision soon," said the ministry spokesperson.

The minister had informed the participants that the government was seriously considering the issue of reopening schools under SOPs.

In this regard, suggestions have been sought from all the provinces including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, madrassas and private institutes.

He had further stated that a meeting has also been scheduled with the Ministry of Health on this issue, and the data of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) would also be taken into consideration, and the trends of decline or increase in coronavirus cases as per the data of NCOC analysed.

The federal minister had said that the ministry was also in touch with the UNICEF on the issue of opening of schools.

The high-level meeting also mentioned the Gallup survey on the issue of reopening schools, according to which 70 percent of parents agreed to send their children to school when schools were opened under SOPs.

"The government wants to end the atmosphere of uncertainty on issues of fundamental importance like education" Mahmood had said.

He had said that after the roadmap was finalised he would address a press conference to take the parents into confidence.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020