The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has decided to reschedule winter vacations in all public and private educational institutes in the country.
According to the official notification, all schools and colleges in the country will remain closed from 3 January 2022 due to the prevailing cold weather in the country. The decision will not be applicable to educational institutes in areas affected by smog or fog.
During today’s NCOC session, it is decided that Winter vacation in education sector will start from 3rd January 22 apart from Fog / Smog hit districts of Pakistan. Federating units will issue notifications accordingly.
— NFRCC (@NFRCCofficial) December 17, 2021
The decision was taken earlier today during the NCOC session that was held with Federal Planning Minister, Asad Umar, in the chair. Federal Minister Education, Shafqat Mehmood, SAPM on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, and all other stakeholders also attended the meeting.
Speaking in this regard, Asad Umar said that this decision to move the winter vacations to January 2022 has been taken to maximize vaccine uptake amongst students in educational institutions, which can be best achieved when schools are open. Millions of students remain unvaccinated, and data suggest that children may be susceptible to infection.
Parents are urged to get their children vaccinated at the earliest to protect them and those around them. Additionally, global trends regarding the spread of the Omicron variant suggest that an upsurge of cases typically happens within a few weeks of the detection of the variant.
In light of this information, it will be prudent to schedule winter vacations in Pakistan in January to coincide with the potential uptick of cases. This will allow for minimal disruption of educational calendars if there is a surge in cases.
All citizens are urged to get their vaccinations, including those who have not yet gotten their second doses. Complete vaccination offers the highest protection against the disease.
