As the fifth wave fueled by the Omicron variant intensifies across the country, the calls from students and parents for shutting down educational institutes are increasing in parallel.
All eyes were fixed on the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) that was set to meet earlier today to decide the closure of schools, colleges, and universities in view of the increasing COVID-19 cases.
However, the IPEMC was postponed till next week just hours before it was originally scheduled to meet. The reasons behind the delay have not been specified by the Federal Education Minister, Shafqat Mahmood.
Addressing parents and students who have been inquiring regarding the closure of schools and colleges, Punjab Education Minister, Dr. Murad Raas, took to Twitter and questioned why should educational institutes be the first ones to be closed.
For all the inquirers whether Schools are closing or NOT? In my opinion, every other activity specially Social activity has to be stopped before schools. Schools should be the absolute last in line to close. The learning losses of our children in the past 2 years – Unimaginable.
— Murad Raas (@MuradRaasMR) January 13, 2022
He penned that all other activities, especially social activities, should be suspended first before shutting down schools and colleges, adding that the proposal to close educational institutions should be considered at the end.
The Minister also expressed serious concerns over the loss of learning which follows the closure of schools and colleges, adding that the students have already suffered an unimaginable learning loss in the last two years due to the shutdown of educational institutes amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
