Institutions Witnessed Maximum Attendance On Second Day After Reopening

Majority of the students attended their academic activities on the second day (Wednesday) after reopening of higher education institutions in the country after around six-month long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, showing maximum attendance

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2020 ) :Majority of the students attended their academic activities on the second day (Wednesday) after reopening of higher education institutions in the country after around six-month long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, showing maximum attendance.

The students of grade nine and above returned to school as the higher education institutions in the country have been reopened from Tuesday as per directives of Education Ministry.

Like other cities, the students of federal capital were quite enthusiastic to join their academic activities physically after spending a long period at home during the coronavirus lockdown and passing through the mix feelings of boredom and fear of the pandemic.

The students were warmly welcomed by their teachers and guided to adopt all the precautionary measures for their safe health like washing hands, wearing masks, using sanitizers and keeping social distance for their own safety and others.

Principal of Islamabad Model College for Girls, I-8/3, Dr. Nasreen Rafique said that the classes have been started in her college under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) set by the relevant authorities.

Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) is also supervising the compliance of precautionary measures in all the institutions to ensure safety of all. "We are trying to ensure social distancing between the students and wearing of masks in the classroom".

Professor Tahir Mahmood, a representative of Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) termed the reopening of institutions as a good start and said students and teachers strictly were observing the precautionary measures.

Most of the colleges have divided the classes on different days to ensure social distancing and safety of the students while classes are further being divided into various groups observing the Standard Operating procedures (SOPs).

The college administration provided masks to the students at the entry gate, checked their body temperatures by thermal guns and allowed them to enter to the college vicinity after sanitizing hands.

He said around 60 percent attendance was observed in second year while over 80 percent students were present in the First year classes.

Principal of Islamabad Model Postgraduate college, H-8,� Professor Qasim Masood�said, "We have arranged a series of meetings in the college to chalk out a plan for opening of college.

We are observing SOPs undoubtedly despite the fact it is very difficult to follow 100% SOPs".

It was Herculean task to manage all the classes simultaneously. The number of students has reduced up to 20 students per class and one class is divided into four rooms for maintaining distancing which led to shortage of rooms, he said.

Students have been directed to come to the college on alternate days which will make it difficult to cover up the whole syllabus under such circumstances.

Shaista, another lecturer of a local college said, although the attendance of the students was not 100 percent but majority of them joined the educational institutions.

She said prior to opening of the institutions, the team of National Institute of health (NIH) visited the colleges and schools working under FDE to conduct tests of all the teachers and staff as a part of precautionary measures.

While, the arrangements have also been made for ensuring compliance with the SOPs to stay safe from coronavirus like wearing masks, washing hands, checking temperatures, maintaining social distancing etc, she added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the education institutions were closed across the country in the month of March following the coronavirus outbreak.

On September 7, the Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced the reopening of some 300,000 schools, colleges, and universities in phases to avoid another wave of the virus.

The minister has stated that if all goes well, then students in grade six to eight will return to school on Sept. 23, while students in nursery to grade five will be back to school on Sept 30. Over 30,000 religious seminaries across the country were also being reopened in phases from Tuesday.

According to the SOPs issued by the government, masks will be mandatory for all teachers and students, while schools, colleges, and university administrations will ensure sanitizers at the entry gates.

Pakistan is among those few countries which have witnessed a dramatic decrease in the number of daily coronavirus cases, from nearly 7,000 to 200 over the past few months, with fatalities recorded in the single digit.

The government is currently following a "mini smart lockdown" strategy under which the authorities seal off only houses or workplaces where infections are reported, instead of closing the entire area, street or shopping center.

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