Special NCOC meeting today to discuss poor COVID-19 SOPs compliance outside examination centers: Shafqat Mahmod

Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced on Tuesday that a special National Command and Operation Centre meeting will be held to review reports of violation of coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) outside the examination centers.

On Monday, A-Level students began taking their Cambridge exams, with the British Council assuring the strict implementation of coronavirus SOPs. The education minister had also assured that the government will be monitoring the exams closely.

When the minister along with Head of British Council and Cambridge Pakistan, visited an examination centre, he saw that although SOPs were being followed, the number of people in one room was large. "Have asked them to drastically reduce it," the minister said.

In a tweet today, Mahmood said that exams were allowed to be held with the condition of strict SOPs. But he said, according to reports coming in, it was obvious that outside the exam centers the compliance was poor.

"This and the latest corona spread reports will be discussed in a special NCOC meeting today afternoon," Mahmood tweeted.

Despite students approaching high courts in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore, the Cambridge exams are still being held as per the decision between the government and Cambridge Board. The exams for O Level students will begin on May 10.