‘Schools’ registration to be renewed automatically’

Education minister urges schools to ensure proper implementation of SOPs

KARACHI:

The registration of private educational institutions, which were unable to get their registration renewed due to the pandemic, will be renewed automatically by May 2021, said Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Saturday.

He gave this assurance in response to request for assistance made by a private schools association, while chairing a meeting.

"Government offices remained closed, as a result of which many private educational institutions couldn't get their registration renewed for the coming academic year," he noted, adding that their registrations would be automatically renewed, provided they submitted the required documents to the relevant authority at the earliest.

Moreover, he instructed private schools' managements to ensure that educational institutions were reopened in line with the government's decisions, according to which in-class session for class nine and above would commence from September 15, for class six to eight from September 21 and for lower grades from September 28.

Besides, the minister said, schools needed to ensure the proper implementation of pandemic-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government.

At this, private educational institutions' heads assured Ghani that they had started making arrangements for the implementation of SOPs, adding that they were committed to containing the virus' spread.

They requested the minister to formulate a separate strategy regarding school transport.

Ghani, however, responded by highlighting the role of parents in making certain their children did not contract the coronavirus while travelling to and from schools.

"The parents of children who travel in school vans have a big responsibility on their shoulders, they are to play their role [in this regard]," he remarked.

The minister advised that if needed and possible, they themselves may travel in school vans to make sure that SOPs were being followed.

"If parents try to drop their children off at the school and pick them themselves, [instead of sending them in school vans], it would not just be in the interest of their children, but also of others studying with them," he added.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, Septe0mber 13^th, 2020.