Pakistan schools resuming five-day classes, not universities: HEC

Pakistan schools are set to resume five-day classes from March 1 but the same policy does not apply to universities, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan said Friday.

In a series of tweets, the HEC said that all universities are instructed to continue academic and research in accordance with the relevant instructions provided in the previous Covid-19 guidance notes.

** Covid-19 Pandemic **

UNIVERSITIES WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS PER HEC GUIDELINES

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan clarifies that all universities will continue to operate as per guidelines issued by the HEC earlier.

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— HEC Pakistan (@hecpkofficial) February 26, 2021

The varsities have been instructed to come up with a “blended learning system” which means that classes should be held both online and on campus.

The universities will remain open for the following students:

• Those who have internet problems at home
• Foreign students
• MPhil and PhD students
• Final year students

“In no case, shall the total number of the students permitted to come to campus should exceed 30 percent of the total enrollment,” the policy read, adding that if classes are held on campus, the management will be responsible for ensuring coronavirus SOP implementation.

Schools across Pakistan will resume classes five days a week from March 1.

Earlier, schools in these cities were restricted to a three-day school week by NCOC in view of a high prevalence of COVID-19. NCOC has removed these restrictions following a fresh assessment of the prevailing situation in these cities, the commission tweeted.

Pakistan schools and coronavirus

All educational institutions across the country were closed in late February 2020 after coronavirus cases began to rise. They were reopened in phases starting September 15, 2020.

On November 23, 2020, after the second wave of coronavirus cases hit the country, the government announced that all educational institutions would close again from November 26,2020.

Classes were taken online till December 24, 2020, and winter vacations started from December 25, 2020, and were supposed to last till January 10. The government said it would hold a meeting to review the decision to reopen schools on January 4.

The NCOC then decided that schools would reopen in phases with classes nine to 12 being the first to reopen on January 18.

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