Educational institutions across the country will reopen in phases starting September 15, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood announced on Monday, nearly six months after the coronavirus pandemic sent students home.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the inter-provincial education ministers’ conference (IPEMC), Mehmood said in the first phase, all higher education institutions including universities and professional colleges, as well as classes nine till 12 will resume on Sept 15.

A week later, on Sept 23, classes six, seven and eight will be allowed to return to schools following a review, while primary schools will be reopened on Sept 30 in the last phase, the minister announced.

"It means we will open all these institutions in 15 days if things remain okay," he said.

Earlier today, the education ministers of Punjab and Sindh too had said schools in their provinces would reopen in phases from mid-September.

Both ministers said students in grade nine or higher would be the first to return to school, on Sept 15.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1578399/educational-institutions-across-pakistan-to-reopen-in-phases-starting-sept-15